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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $906 in Mandaue.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,352 in Mandaue.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,798 in Mandaue.

Living in Medellin is roughly 12% more expensive than Mandaue, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Mandaue 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$4.35 ₱264

36.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$23.93 ₱1,453

39.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.38 ₱266

65.07%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.57 ₱156

-36.58%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.84 ₱51.3

29.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.43 ₱25.86

69.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.59 ₱96.6

9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.15 ₱130

50.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$2.18 ₱132

-51.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.76 ₱45.85

69.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.93 ₱56.7

41.94%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.17 ₱132

4.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$12.98 ₱788

-66.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$5.34 ₱324

10.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$7.64 ₱464

12.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$3.48 ₱212

-35.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.53 ₱92.8

-30.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$3.30 ₱200

-53.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$2.17 ₱132

-34.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$2.66 ₱162

-56.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$2.47 ₱150

-52.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.92 ₱56.0

-3.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.79 ₱47.74

13.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.64 ₱160

-14.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$6.54 ₱397

68.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.19 ₱72.5

-4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.24 ₱136

6.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.28 ₱17.05

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.89 ₱54.2

58.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.23 ₱13.94

726.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$2.69 ₱164

188.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.11 ₱67.2

-9.01%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$30.4K ₱1.8M

-42.24%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$27.4K ₱1.7M

-3.24%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$95.8 ₱5,819

-12.68%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$26.19 ₱1,590

-63.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$29.80 ₱1,810

-19.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$46.98 ₱2,853

-46.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$4.41 ₱268

334.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$5.78 ₱351

-29.07%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$230 ₱14.0K

35.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$3,841 ₱233.2K

56.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$46.56 ₱2,827

24.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$23.20 ₱1,409

40.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$76.2 ₱4,625

30.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$54.7 ₱3,320

98.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$263 ₱16.0K

83.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$287 ₱17.4K

32.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$844 ₱51.3K

-0.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$439 ₱26.6K

64.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$2,338 ₱142.0K

21.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$976 ₱59.2K

25.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$248 ₱15.0K

118.46%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mandaue: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $263 in Mandaue. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 118% 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 $190 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 12% 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.

Medellin pays 118% more on average, 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: $482 in Medellin versus $263 in Mandaue. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $230 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 $906 in Mandaue versus $1,017 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 $906 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 12% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.