Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ligao City Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ligao City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $724 in Ligao City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,100 in Ligao City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,476 in Ligao City, rent included.

Medellin costs about 127% more than Ligao City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Ligao City is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.79 ₱238

112.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$16.85 ₱1,056

186.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$2.77 ₱174

240.07%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.17 ₱136

35.48%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.58 ₱36.16

220.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.35 ₱21.69

317.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.12 ₱70.0

186.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.84 ₱116

210.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.68 ₱105

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.11 ₱69.6

116.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.98 ₱61.2

73.47%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.97 ₱124

46.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$5.36 ₱336

87.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.06 ₱255

145.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.25 ₱454

95.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.28 ₱143

74.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.56 ₱97.6

1.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.44 ₱153

-11.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.14 ₱71.7

101.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.13 ₱134

-6.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.04 ₱128

-25.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.81 ₱50.9

48.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.55 ₱34.57

132.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.83 ₱177

35.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.92 ₱497

76.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.92 ₱57.7

85.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.96 ₱123

39.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.25 ₱15.59

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$11.12 ₱697

600.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.79 ₱49.24

65.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.23 ₱14.34

843.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$1.95 ₱122

325.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.17 ₱73.6

16.24%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

28.18%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

90.30%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$123 ₱7,702

37.33%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$15.45 ₱968

-12.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$24.64 ₱1,544

14.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$32.04 ₱2,009

42.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$4.79 ₱300

259.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$5.13 ₱321

29.63%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$133 ₱8,348

503.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,014 ₱502.4K

14.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$32.28 ₱2,024

170.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$19.51 ₱1,223

204.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$73.3 ₱4,597

89.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$57.0 ₱3,572

79.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$273 ₱17.1K

292.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$169 ₱10.6K

286.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$497 ₱31.2K

287.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$352 ₱22.1K

197.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,589 ₱162.3K

59.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,042 ₱65.3K

62.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$276 ₱17.3K

137.57%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ligao City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $273 in Ligao City. 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 138% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $17.00 in Ligao City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $179 – making Ligao City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ligao City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 127%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,086 in Ligao City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 68% 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $17.00 in Ligao City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ligao City, where all-in costs run around $724, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Ligao City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ligao City – 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 Ligao City. 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.