Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Island Garden City of Samal

For one person, living is cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal: $715 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Island Garden City of Samal
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Island Garden City of Samal Living Index

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Island Garden City of Samal, Philippines

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Philippines

$715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $715 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Island Garden City of Samal $715

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,104 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Island Garden City of Samal $1,104

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,492 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Island Garden City of Samal $1,492

Medellin costs about 137% more than Island Garden City of Samal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Island Garden City of Samal is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.2K

$1.15 ₱72.3

625.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 152.0K

$16.72 ₱1,054

178.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.9K

$3.95 ₱249

139.75%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$2.19 ₱138

42.92%

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

$1.77 COP 5,770

$1.03 ₱64.7

71.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,654

$0.66 ₱41.92

115.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.3K

$1.20 ₱75.5

162.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.6K

$2.10 ₱132

171.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 5,007

$1.92 ₱121

-20.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,485

$1.07 ₱67.2

114.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,354

$0.84 ₱52.8

130.95%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 10.0K

$1.93 ₱122

59.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.6K

$6.29 ₱396

58.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 34.1K

$4.66 ₱294

124.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.6K

$9.26 ₱584

50.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.2K

$2.73 ₱172

48.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,993

$1.07 ₱67.2

42.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,874

$2.33 ₱147

-9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,493

$1.18 ₱74.3

94.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,891

$1.91 ₱120

10.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,584

$3.47 ₱219

-50.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,823

$1.18 ₱74.5

-0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,162

$0.66 ₱41.57

139.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.8K

$2.34 ₱148

67.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.9K

$7.89 ₱498

77.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,755

$1.27 ₱79.9

38.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,860

$1.60 ₱101

69.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,854

$0.24 ₱15.18

391.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 249.2K

$12.28 ₱774

521.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,903

$0.75 ₱47.36

141.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,956

$0.24 ₱15.20

787.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.6K

$1.83 ₱116

344.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,166

$1.22 ₱77.2

4.92%

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

$34.4K COP 112.5M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

64.66%

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

$34.1K COP 111.5M

$18.6K ₱1.2M

83.65%

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

$178 COP 580.6K

$100 ₱6,336

76.88%

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

$13.89 COP 45.4K

$18.62 ₱1,174

-25.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 100.4K

$31.00 ₱1,955

-0.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 137.0K

$31.00 ₱1,955

35.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.9K

$5.22 ₱329

221.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.4K

$4.72 ₱298

58.26%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$103 ₱6,524

663.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 40.2M

$7,545 ₱475.8K

62.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 282.1K

$32.51 ₱2,050

165.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 193.6K

$19.14 ₱1,207

209.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 451.9K

$70.7 ₱4,458

95.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 322.8K

$59.7 ₱3,767

65.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.4M

$251 ₱15.8K

434.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$166 ₱10.5K

301.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.5M

$481 ₱30.3K

310.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.4M

$357 ₱22.5K

189.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.4M

$2,635 ₱166.1K

55.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,089 ₱68.7K

78.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.31

31.65%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Island Garden City of Samal: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Island Garden City of Samal

$166 23.3% 75.1% $501

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Island Garden City of Samal

$197 27.5% 36% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Island Garden City of Samal

$150 21% 32.5% $72

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Island Garden City of Samal

$64 9% 62.8% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Island Garden City of Samal

$82 11.5% 52.4% $90

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Island Garden City of Samal

$15 2.1% 83.7% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Island Garden City of Samal

$40 5.7% 28.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $251 in Island Garden City of Samal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $17 in Island Garden City of Samal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $197 – making Island Garden City of Samal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Island Garden City of Samal

🕒 Local time

04:55 4:55 AM

17:55 5:55 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

116,771

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.06 USD

10,000 COP = 2.73 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 November 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,267 COP (10,000 COP = 3.06 USD). 1 EUR = 3,667 COP (10,000 COP = 2.73 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 10, 2026: 1 USD = 63.06 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 Island Garden City of Samal 17,220 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 137% more than Island Garden City of Samal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,072 in Island Garden City of Samal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $251 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $715 in Island Garden City of Samal. That makes Island Garden City of Samal about 58% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 84% less in Island Garden City of Samal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Island Garden City of Samal, where all-in costs run around $715, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Island Garden City of Samal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Island Garden City of Samal is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 58% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.