Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Imus

For one person, living is cheaper in Imus: $657 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Imus
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Imus Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Imus

🇵🇭 Philippines

$657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Imus

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 Imus actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $657 in Imus, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Imus $657

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $978 in Imus, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Imus $978

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,299 in Imus, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Imus $1,299

Medellin costs about 147% more than Imus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Imus is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$4.01 ₱252

106.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$16.46 ₱1,037

184.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$2.88 ₱181

220.83%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.88 ₱118

62.23%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.61 ₱38.33

195.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.33 ₱20.94

318.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.03 ₱64.7

214.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$1.64 ₱103

239.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.67 ₱105

-10.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.11 ₱69.9

113.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.01 ₱63.5

68.32%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.01 ₱126

47.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$5.11 ₱322

100.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$3.36 ₱212

189.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$7.91 ₱498

75.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.31 ₱145

78.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.59 ₱100

-3.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.42 ₱152

-8.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.84 ₱116

23.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.69 ₱106

17.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.80 ₱113

-7.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.65 ₱41.04

81.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.49 ₱30.78

153.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$3.04 ₱191

27.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$9.02 ₱568

52.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.09 ₱68.5

52.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.06 ₱130

16.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.24 ₱15.01

416.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$11.10 ₱699

604.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$0.79 ₱49.64

62.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.23 ₱14.51

834.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$1.89 ₱119

342.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.20 ₱75.5

12.50%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

64.49%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

79.71%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$125 ₱7,863

33.44%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$15.76 ₱992

-13.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$23.73 ₱1,494

22.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$33.01 ₱2,078

36.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$4.61 ₱290

272.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$5.16 ₱325

35.08%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$132 ₱8,307

498.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$9,101 ₱573.0K

-0.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$28.92 ₱1,821

203.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$19.90 ₱1,253

192.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$73.0 ₱4,593

90.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$54.7 ₱3,441

80.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$118 ₱7,400

774.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$99.7 ₱6,275

521.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$201 ₱12.7K

834.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$169 ₱10.6K

497.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$2,374 ₱149.5K

68.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$978 ₱61.6K

74.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$174 ₱10.9K

281.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.75

62.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Imus: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Imus

$100 15.2% 83.9% $520

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Imus

$180 27.5% 39.4% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Imus

$164 25% 21.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Imus

$79 12.1% 54% $93

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Imus

$75 11.5% 55.9% $95

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Imus

$14 2.1% 85.3% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Imus

$43 6.6% 26.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $118 in Imus. 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 281% 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 $16.00 in Imus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $180 – making Imus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Imus

🕒 Local time

12:45 12:45 PM

01:45 1:45 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

496,794

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Imus 17,080 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Imus

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 Imus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,625 in Medellin, $657 in Imus – roughly 147% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $985 in Imus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 65% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $16.00 in Imus. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Imus, where all-in costs run around $657, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Imus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $657 in Imus to $1,625 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Imus. 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.