Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mambajao

For one person, living is cheaper in Mambajao: $497 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Mambajao
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Mambajao Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Mambajao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$497

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Mambajao

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $497 in Mambajao, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Mambajao $497

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $799 in Mambajao, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Mambajao $799

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,101 in Mambajao, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Mambajao $1,101

Medellin costs about 240% more than Mambajao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Mambajao is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$1.36 ₱85.9

513.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$15.81 ₱1,002

194.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$3.20 ₱203

195.94%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.18 ₱138

43.58%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$0.38 ₱23.92

365.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.28 ₱17.78

407.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$0.94 ₱59.4

235.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$1.11 ₱70.6

413.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$0.84 ₱53.0

82.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$0.57 ₱36.41

301.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$0.67 ₱42.69

189.55%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$1.20 ₱76.1

155.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$5.43 ₱344

83.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$4.17 ₱265

150.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$5.59 ₱354

149.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.28 ₱144

77.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$1.50 ₱94.9

2.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$2.39 ₱152

-12.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.12 ₱71.1

104.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$1.23 ₱78.2

71.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$2.20 ₱139

-22.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$1.09 ₱68.8

7.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$0.52 ₱33.24

203.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.91 ₱185

34.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$7.44 ₱472

88.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$1.01 ₱64.3

74.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$1.15 ₱72.9

135.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$0.21 ₱13.01

461.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$12.49 ₱791

510.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$0.76 ₱47.97

138.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$0.22 ₱13.95

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

$1.23 ₱78.1

4.07%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

64.53%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

77.17%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$63.3 ₱4,011

180.73%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$15.26 ₱967

-8.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$19.19 ₱1,216

60.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$30.84 ₱1,954

35.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$5.33 ₱338

215.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$5.00 ₱317

49.40%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$128 ₱8,132

515.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$7,987 ₱506.0K

53.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$32.01 ₱2,028

169.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$19.38 ₱1,228

205.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$69.5 ₱4,400

99.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$55.5 ₱3,514

78.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$96.7 ₱6,129

1286.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$55.8 ₱3,532

1096.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$235 ₱14.9K

739.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$154 ₱9,745

571.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$2,632 ₱166.7K

55.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,104 ₱70.0K

75.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$150 ₱9,497

331.10%

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 Mambajao: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Mambajao

$56 11.2% 91.6% $611

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Mambajao

$152 30.6% 50.5% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Mambajao

$98 19.7% 56% $125

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Mambajao

$56 11.3% 67.5% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Mambajao

$79 16% 53.9% $93

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Mambajao

$15 3.1% 83.8% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Mambajao

$41 8.2% 28.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $97 in Mambajao. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $16 in Mambajao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $152 – making Mambajao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Mambajao

🕒 Local time

21:46 9:46 PM

10:46 10:46 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

41,094

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

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).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Mambajao 17,180 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Mambajao

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 Mambajao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 240% more than Mambajao, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $746 in Mambajao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mambajao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $97 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $497 in Mambajao. That makes Mambajao about 71% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 84% less in Mambajao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mambajao, where all-in costs run around $497, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Mambajao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mambajao – 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 Mambajao. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.