Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mandaluyong Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mandaluyong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $840 in Mandaluyong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,407 in Mandaluyong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,973 in Mandaluyong.

Living in Medellin is roughly 95% more expensive than in Mandaluyong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Mandaluyong is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.81 ₱301

67.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$17.07 ₱1,070

182.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$3.64 ₱228

158.79%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.17 ₱136

35.48%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.02 ₱63.8

82.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.53 ₱32.92

175.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.19 ₱74.8

169.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.64 ₱165

116.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.64 ₱103

-12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.35 ₱84.6

77.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.98 ₱61.2

73.47%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.26 ₱142

27.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$5.09 ₱319

97.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.85 ₱304

105.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.04 ₱441

101.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.36 ₱211

18.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.89 ₱118

-16.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$3.05 ₱191

-29.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.85 ₱116

24.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.24 ₱140

-10.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.63 ₱165

-42.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.62 ₱39.03

93.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.52 ₱32.78

146.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.96 ₱186

29.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.51 ₱534

64.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.92 ₱57.9

85.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.06 ₱129

33.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.37 ₱23.28

237.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.77 ₱48.07

70.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.25 ₱15.75

768.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$1.87 ₱117

343.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.14 ₱71.6

19.30%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$21.5K ₱1.3M

27.72%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

88.36%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$142 ₱8,886

19.03%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$17.85 ₱1,119

-23.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$23.76 ₱1,489

19.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$31.47 ₱1,973

45.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.11 ₱383

8.84%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$134 ₱8,424

497.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$9,110 ₱571.1K

0.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$28.41 ₱1,781

207.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$28.01 ₱1,756

111.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$70.6 ₱4,424

96.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$56.8 ₱3,563

79.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$614 ₱38.5K

74.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$238 ₱14.9K

174.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,220 ₱76.5K

57.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$711 ₱44.6K

47.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,800 ₱175.5K

47.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$548 ₱34.3K

19.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.75

62.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mandaluyong: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $614 in Mandaluyong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $17.00 in Mandaluyong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $199 per month, with Mandaluyong 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 Mandaluyong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Mandaluyong differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $840 including rent). Mandaluyong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $614 in Mandaluyong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $134 in Mandaluyong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandaluyong – 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 $840 in Mandaluyong versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mandaluyong but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mandaluyong 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Mandaluyong are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mandaluyong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.