Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Las Pinas

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Pinas: $707 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Las Pinas
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Las Pinas Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Las Pinas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Las Pinas

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $707 in Las Pinas, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Las Pinas $707

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,106 in Las Pinas, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Las Pinas $1,106

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,504 in Las Pinas, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Las Pinas $1,504

Medellin costs about 132% more than Las Pinas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Las Pinas is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.85 ₱245

110.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$23.83 ₱1,518

97.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$2.71 ₱173

250.55%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.75 ₱112

72.00%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.12 ₱71.5

60.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.46 ₱28.99

206.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.15 ₱73.1

176.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.40 ₱153

139.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.60 ₱102

-5.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.09 ₱69.4

118.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$0.95 ₱60.6

86.32%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.07 ₱132

39.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$4.85 ₱309

110.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.31 ₱211

198.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$6.87 ₱437

103.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.27 ₱144

74.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.56 ₱99.2

-0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.25 ₱144

-3.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.02 ₱64.8

113.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.71 ₱109

14.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.68 ₱107

-5.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.65 ₱41.20

76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.52 ₱32.92

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.98 ₱189

32.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$9.15 ₱583

49.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.89 ₱56.4

86.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.04 ₱130

10.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.21 ₱13.28

457.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$13.93 ₱887

455.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.73 ₱46.23

73.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.21 ₱13.33

876.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$1.83 ₱117

367.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.23 ₱78.1

9.76%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$21.2K ₱1.4M

60.64%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

81.18%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$119 ₱7,580

42.54%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$14.85 ₱946

-8.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$23.30 ₱1,484

20.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$31.83 ₱2,027

37.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$5.21 ₱332

229.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.94 ₱315

39.88%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$130 ₱8,254

514.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$8,780 ₱559.2K

3.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$28.31 ₱1,803

199.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$18.89 ₱1,203

206.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$70.4 ₱4,485

91.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$54.4 ₱3,463

80.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$280 ₱17.9K

330.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$168 ₱10.7K

282.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$482 ₱30.7K

321.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$372 ₱23.7K

171.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,676 ₱170.4K

55.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,078 ₱68.7K

77.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$600 ₱38.2K

9.48%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Las Pinas: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Las Pinas

$168 23.7% 73.9% $474

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Las Pinas

$170 24% 42.9% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Las Pinas

$157 22.2% 25.6% $54

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Las Pinas

$77 10.9% 54.7% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Las Pinas

$77 11% 54.2% $92

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Las Pinas

$17 2.3% 82.3% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Las Pinas

$42 5.9% 27.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $280 in Las Pinas. 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 9% 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 in Medellin versus $24 in Las Pinas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $170 – making Las Pinas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Las Pinas

🕒 Local time

20:55 8:55 PM

09:55 9:55 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

606,293

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Las Pinas 17,070 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Las Pinas

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 Las Pinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $707 in Las Pinas – Las Pinas comes out roughly 57% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,060 in Las Pinas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Las Pinas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $280 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $24 in Las Pinas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $707 in Las Pinas. That makes Las Pinas about 57% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Las Pinas, where all-in costs run around $707, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Las Pinas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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