Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Malaybalay Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Malaybalay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $758 in Malaybalay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,146 in Malaybalay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,535 in Malaybalay.

Living in Medellin is roughly 122% more expensive than in Malaybalay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Malaybalay is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$4.71 ₱296

70.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$16.73 ₱1,051

186.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$3.66 ₱230

170.22%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.26 ₱142

38.50%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.50 ₱31.27

282.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.30 ₱19.13

403.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.06 ₱66.4

194.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$1.84 ₱115

212.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.95 ₱123

-26.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.14 ₱71.5

118.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$0.87 ₱54.6

103.45%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$1.95 ₱123

51.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$6.50 ₱409

54.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$4.06 ₱255

149.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$8.62 ₱541

65.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.58 ₱162

60.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.12 ₱70.5

43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$2.31 ₱145

-2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.19 ₱74.6

89.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$2.05 ₱129

-0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$3.57 ₱224

-56.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.17 ₱73.6

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.70 ₱44.08

87.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.52 ₱159

54.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$7.90 ₱497

77.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.24 ₱77.6

40.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$1.59 ₱99.8

80.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.23 ₱14.40

430.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$10.87 ₱683

640.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$0.81 ₱50.9

61.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.25 ₱15.75

776.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$1.95 ₱123

346.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.18 ₱73.9

16.10%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

29.25%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

90.45%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$109 ₱6,818

63.36%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$19.31 ₱1,213

-28.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$30.85 ₱1,938

-3.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$31.66 ₱1,989

41.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$4.84 ₱304

253.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$4.90 ₱308

35.71%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$106 ₱6,635

669.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$7,643 ₱480.2K

20.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$31.89 ₱2,003

180.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$19.10 ₱1,200

208.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$70.4 ₱4,421

96.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$62.1 ₱3,901

64.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$260 ₱16.3K

308.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$169 ₱10.6K

292.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$495 ₱31.1K

281.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$297 ₱18.7K

245.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$2,556 ₱160.6K

63.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,043 ₱65.5K

60.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Malaybalay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $260 in Malaybalay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $17.00 in Malaybalay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $194 per month, with Malaybalay cheaper across the board.

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 Malaybalay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Malaybalay differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $758 including rent). Malaybalay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,136 in Malaybalay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $260 in Malaybalay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malaybalay – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $758 in Malaybalay versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malaybalay but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Malaybalay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Malaybalay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.