Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Magallanes, Cavite

For one person, living is cheaper in Magallanes, Cavite: $722 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Magallanes, Cavite, Philippines
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Magallanes, Cavite
🇵🇭 Philippines
$722
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Magallanes, Cavite

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $722 in Magallanes, Cavite, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Magallanes, Cavite $722

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,097 in Magallanes, Cavite, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Magallanes, Cavite $1,097

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,472 in Magallanes, Cavite, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Magallanes, Cavite $1,472

Medellin costs about 134% more than Magallanes, Cavite, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Magallanes, Cavite is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Magallanes, Cavite
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$3.97 ₱252
110.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.1K
$16.61 ₱1,053
180.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.5K
$2.72 ₱172
248.16%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$2.14 ₱136
46.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,696
$0.69 ₱43.78
156.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,594
$0.33 ₱21.08
330.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$1.19 ₱75.1
164.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$2.10 ₱133
171.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Magallanes, Cavite
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,943
$1.61 ₱102
-4.97%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,389
$1.09 ₱69.0
110.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,273
$0.91 ₱57.5
113.19%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,889
$1.90 ₱120
61.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.2K
$5.34 ₱338
87.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$4.00 ₱253
161.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.0K
$6.94 ₱440
101.15%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$2.32 ₱147
74.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,929
$1.51 ₱95.7
1.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,786
$2.31 ₱146
-9.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,397
$1.16 ₱73.5
97.41%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,803
$2.11 ₱134
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,512
$2.28 ₱145
-25.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,774
$1.05 ₱66.3
11.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,096
$0.53 ₱33.51
198.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$2.94 ₱186
32.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.3K
$7.39 ₱468
89.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,682
$0.94 ₱59.4
87.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,746
$1.84 ₱116
47.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Magallanes, Cavite
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,805
$0.24 ₱15.29
391.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.0K
$12.20 ₱773
525.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,827
$0.78 ₱49.53
132.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,867
$0.22 ₱13.91
868.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.2K
$1.86 ₱118
337.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,113
$1.17 ₱73.9
9.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.1M
$20.7K ₱1.3M
66.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.1M
$18.7K ₱1.2M
83.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Magallanes, Cavite
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.2K
$122 ₱7,760
45.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$15.45 ₱979
-10.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.1K
$23.76 ₱1,506
29.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Magallanes, Cavite
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.3K
$31.07 ₱1,968
34.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.2K
$5.13 ₱325
227.49%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$5.05 ₱320
47.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Magallanes, Cavite
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$131 ₱8,317
501.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$7,928 ₱502.3K
55.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Magallanes, Cavite
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.4K
$32.60 ₱2,066
164.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.1K
$18.81 ₱1,192
215.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.2K
$70.0 ₱4,434
97.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 318.7K
$54.0 ₱3,420
83.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Magallanes, Cavite
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$253 ₱16.0K
429.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$170 ₱10.8K
293.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$483 ₱30.6K
308.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$348 ₱22.0K
196.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$2,670 ₱169.2K
53.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$1,126 ₱71.3K
72.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Magallanes, Cavite
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.92
58.09%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Magallanes, Cavite: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Magallanes, Cavite
$170 74.6% $497
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Magallanes, Cavite
$175 43% $132
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Magallanes, Cavite
$162 27.3% $61
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Magallanes, Cavite
$80 53.7% $93
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Magallanes, Cavite
$79 54.2% $93
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Magallanes, Cavite
$15 83.9% $78
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Magallanes, Cavite
$41 27.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $253 in Magallanes, Cavite. 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 Magallanes, Cavite. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $175 – making Magallanes, Cavite the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇵🇭 Magallanes, Cavite
🕒 Local time
22:41 10:41 PM
11:41 11:41 AM
13 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
23,851
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,631 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 63.36 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.33 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Magallanes, Cavite 17,110 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Magallanes, Cavite

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 Magallanes, Cavite: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Magallanes, Cavite?
Medellin costs about 134% more than Magallanes, Cavite, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Medellin and in Magallanes, Cavite?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,083 in Magallanes, Cavite. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Medellin or Magallanes, Cavite?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Magallanes, Cavite, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $253 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
How much does it cost to live in Medellin compared to Magallanes, Cavite?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $722 in Magallanes, Cavite. That makes Magallanes, Cavite about 57% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Medellin compared to Magallanes, Cavite?
Public transport costs about 84% less in Magallanes, Cavite. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $800/month in Medellin or in Magallanes, Cavite?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Magallanes, Cavite, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Magallanes, Cavite it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Magallanes, Cavite – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Magallanes, Cavite is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 57% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?