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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $784 in Malaybalay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,216 in Malaybalay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,649 in Malaybalay.

Living in Medellin is roughly 31% more expensive than in Malaybalay, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Malaybalay 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$4.37 ₱269

40.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$15.75 ₱970

106.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$3.95 ₱243

85.82%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$2.14 ₱132

-19.63%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.50 ₱31.04

110.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.37 ₱22.57

108.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.09 ₱66.9

55.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.76 ₱108

80.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.70 ₱104

-38.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.22 ₱75.1

6.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.93 ₱57.6

50.54%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$2.00 ₱123

8.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$6.05 ₱372

-27.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.56 ₱281

28.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$7.47 ₱460

15.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$2.83 ₱174

-19.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$1.19 ₱73.4

-6.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$2.28 ₱140

-32.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.42 ₱87.5

-4.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$2.18 ₱134

-48.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$3.17 ₱195

-64.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.38 ₱84.8

-38.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.60 ₱36.82

51.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$2.67 ₱164

-12.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$8.14 ₱501

51.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.36 ₱83.9

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.55 ₱95.4

60.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.28 ₱17.37

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.85 ₱52.6

67.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.23 ₱14.10

734.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$2.18 ₱134

251.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.09 ₱67.2

-9.17%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$21.9K ₱1.3M

-17.67%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

27.62%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$105 ₱6,459

-22.97%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$33.33 ₱2,052

-70.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$35.84 ₱2,207

-32.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$34.25 ₱2,109

-26.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$4.36 ₱269

339.22%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.52 ₱278

-11.95%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$118 ₱7,251

159.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$4,376 ₱269.4K

38.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$45.25 ₱2,786

28.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$30.63 ₱1,886

5.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$76.2 ₱4,691

32.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$68.0 ₱4,185

58.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$271 ₱16.7K

76.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$180 ₱11.1K

109.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$587 ₱36.1K

43.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$389 ₱23.9K

87.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,377 ₱146.3K

35.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,109 ₱68.3K

23.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.56

40.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Malaybalay: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $271 in Malaybalay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $16.00 in Malaybalay. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $194, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $784 including rent). Malaybalay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $1,176 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: $477 in Medellin versus $271 in Malaybalay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $118 in Malaybalay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Malaybalay – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $784 in Malaybalay versus $1,031 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 31% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.