Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mandaue Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mandaue

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $925 in Mandaue.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,356 in Mandaue.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,788 in Mandaue.

Living in Medellin is roughly 8% more expensive than in Mandaue, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Mandaue 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$4.36 ₱267

35.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$23.70 ₱1,451

39.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$4.55 ₱279

63.30%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$2.64 ₱162

-37.50%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.79 ₱48.39

39.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.42 ₱25.72

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.51 ₱92.7

13.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.19 ₱134

45.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$2.12 ₱130

-48.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.79 ₱48.65

59.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$0.93 ₱56.9

48.39%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$2.19 ₱134

-0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$13.01 ₱797

-65.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$5.34 ₱327

8.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$7.61 ₱466

17.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$3.51 ₱215

-33.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.51 ₱92.2

-29.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$3.33 ₱204

-54.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$2.24 ₱137

-39.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$2.67 ₱163

-57.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$2.45 ₱150

-52.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.99 ₱60.8

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.84 ₱51.2

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$2.71 ₱166

-17.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$6.18 ₱379

96.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.17 ₱71.3

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.34 ₱143

5.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.26 ₱15.91

226.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$0.87 ₱53.1

63.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.25 ₱15.36

680.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$2.71 ₱166

191.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.15 ₱70.2

-13.91%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$30.2K ₱1.8M

-41.75%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$27.8K ₱1.7M

-3.68%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$97.6 ₱5,973

-14.93%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$26.08 ₱1,596

-62.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$29.33 ₱1,796

-19.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$47.26 ₱2,893

-46.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$4.53 ₱277

321.63%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$6.02 ₱369

-34.39%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$229 ₱14.0K

37.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$3,909 ₱239.3K

52.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$44.90 ₱2,749

33.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$23.32 ₱1,428

36.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$74.3 ₱4,551

36.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$55.3 ₱3,386

94.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$263 ₱16.1K

80.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$278 ₱17.0K

34.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$839 ₱51.3K

1.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$437 ₱26.7K

64.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$2,257 ₱138.1K

44.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,092 ₱66.8K

31.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$244 ₱14.9K

155.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

67.88%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mandaue: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $263 in Mandaue. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 156% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $24.00 in Mandaue. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $231, 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 Mandaue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandaue wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mandaue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 156% 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: $475 in Medellin versus $263 in Mandaue. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $229 in Mandaue. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandaue – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $925 in Mandaue versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mandaue but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mandaue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mandaue delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $925 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mandaue hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Mandaue 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 Mandaue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.