Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Iloilo

For one person, living is cheaper in Iloilo: $693 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Iloilo
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Iloilo Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Iloilo

🇵🇭 Philippines

$693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Iloilo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Iloilo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $693 in Iloilo, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Iloilo $693

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,054 in Iloilo, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Iloilo $1,054

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $1,416 in Iloilo, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Iloilo $1,416

Medellin costs about 129% more than Iloilo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Iloilo is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$2.83 ₱177

183.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$19.43 ₱1,219

139.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$3.15 ₱198

199.37%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$2.09 ₱131

39.23%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 COP 5,585

$0.65 ₱40.93

169.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$0.34 ₱21.39

288.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$1.06 ₱66.6

195.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$1.81 ₱113

206.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$1.69 ₱106

-16.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$1.20 ₱75.1

103.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$0.84 ₱52.9

94.05%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$2.06 ₱129

36.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$6.05 ₱379

60.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$4.04 ₱254

130.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$6.18 ₱388

117.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$3.32 ₱208

20.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.04 ₱65.3

42.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$3.06 ₱192

-30.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$1.38 ₱86.4

63.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$2.39 ₱150

-20.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$2.71 ₱170

-40.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$1.47 ₱92.4

-21.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.81 ₱50.8

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$2.99 ₱188

27.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$6.19 ₱388

111.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$1.10 ₱68.8

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$1.26 ₱78.8

79.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$0.24 ₱15.09

387.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$4.59 ₱288

1534.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$0.82 ₱51.4

54.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$0.34 ₱21.10

502.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$2.36 ₱148

247.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.16 ₱72.9

9.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

22.97%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

76.12%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$162 COP 516.9K

$64.5 ₱4,044

151.61%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$9.82 ₱616

33.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$27.65 ₱1,734

1.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$9.76 ₱612

354.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$4.70 ₱295

29.57%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$764 COP 2.4M

$31.77 ₱1,993

2305.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$23.50 ₱1,474

261.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$17.74 ₱1,113

224.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$55.5 ₱3,480

137.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$23.96 ₱1,503

299.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$308 ₱19.3K

233.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$246 ₱15.4K

145.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$1,184 ₱74.3K

52.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$436 ₱27.4K

127.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$3,633 ₱227.9K

7.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$1,055 ₱66.2K

55.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$206 ₱12.9K

203.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.33

49.25%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Iloilo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Iloilo

$246 35.8% 59.3% $358

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Iloilo

$188 27.3% 34.8% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Iloilo

$102 14.8% 49.9% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Iloilo

$54 7.9% 67.4% $112

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Iloilo

$70 10.2% 57.9% $96

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Iloilo

$8.1 1.2% 91.2% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Iloilo

$19 2.8% 66.1% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $308 in Iloilo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 204% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Iloilo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $188 – making Iloilo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Iloilo

🕒 Local time

07:15 7:15 AM

20:15 8:15 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

457,626

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Iloilo 17,260 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Iloilo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Iloilo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 129%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,040 in Iloilo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iloilo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $19.00 in Iloilo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $693 in Iloilo. That's a gap of about 129%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iloilo, where all-in costs run around $693, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Iloilo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iloilo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Iloilo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.