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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $778 in Malaybalay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,211 in Malaybalay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,644 in Malaybalay.

Living in Medellin is roughly 30% more expensive than Malaybalay, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Malaybalay 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$4.37 ₱269

37.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$16.17 ₱997

103.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$3.91 ₱241

81.33%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.07 ₱128

-17.39%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.51 ₱31.67

115.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.36 ₱22.49

116.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.08 ₱66.7

55.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.75 ₱108

75.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.74 ₱107

-37.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.28 ₱78.7

-1.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$0.99 ₱60.9

39.39%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.09 ₱129

4.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$5.98 ₱369

-26.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.49 ₱277

25.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$7.21 ₱444

23.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.90 ₱179

-19.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.19 ₱73.5

-10.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$2.38 ₱147

-36.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.35 ₱83.4

2.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$2.30 ₱142

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$3.31 ₱204

-64.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.32 ₱81.4

-32.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.60 ₱37.29

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.69 ₱166

-15.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$7.91 ₱488

34.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.40 ₱86.1

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.50 ₱92.2

64.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.28 ₱17.37

207.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$0.91 ₱56.2

61.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.25 ₱15.47

684.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$2.18 ₱134

255.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.14 ₱70.5

-16.67%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$22.6K ₱1.4M

-19.63%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

26.48%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$103 ₱6,357

-20.22%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$33.29 ₱2,053

-71.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$36.73 ₱2,265

-34.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$34.32 ₱2,116

-24.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$4.46 ₱275

326.01%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.53 ₱279

-13.25%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$119 ₱7,334

160.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$4,392 ₱270.8K

35.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$45.45 ₱2,803

29.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$30.66 ₱1,890

5.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$77.1 ₱4,756

33.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$70.1 ₱4,320

54.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$271 ₱16.7K

75.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$178 ₱11.0K

112.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$576 ₱35.5K

45.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$393 ₱24.2K

84.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,167 ₱133.6K

28.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$905 ₱55.8K

33.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Malaybalay: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 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 $188 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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $778 including rent). Malaybalay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,166 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: $476 in Medellin versus $271 in Malaybalay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $119 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 $778 in Malaybalay versus $1,013 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 30% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.