Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Marawi

For one person, living is cheaper in Marawi: $718 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Marawi
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Marawi Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Marawi

🇵🇭 Philippines

$718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Marawi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $718 in Marawi.

Medellin $1,692
Marawi $718

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $1,100 in Marawi.

Medellin $2,471
Marawi $1,100

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $1,482 in Marawi.

Medellin $3,249
Marawi $1,482

Living in Medellin is roughly 136% more expensive than in Marawi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Marawi is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$3.97 ₱252

110.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.2K

$16.15 ₱1,025

188.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$2.72 ₱173

248.16%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.13 ₱135

46.95%

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

$1.77 COP 5,702

$0.69 ₱43.55

156.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,599

$0.33 ₱21.10

330.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.20 ₱76.3

162.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$2.02 ₱128

182.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,948

$1.64 ₱104

-6.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.09 ₱69.0

110.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,279

$0.89 ₱56.2

117.98%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,900

$1.86 ₱118

65.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$5.51 ₱350

81.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$4.21 ₱267

148.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$7.15 ₱453

95.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.40 ₱152

68.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,934

$1.56 ₱98.9

-1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,794

$2.33 ₱148

-9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,405

$1.16 ₱73.5

97.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,810

$2.12 ₱134

-0.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,518

$2.19 ₱139

-21.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,778

$1.09 ₱68.9

7.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,101

$0.56 ₱35.58

182.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.85 ₱181

37.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$7.30 ₱463

92.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,688

$0.93 ₱58.8

89.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,756

$1.91 ₱121

41.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,809

$0.24 ₱15.26

391.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.3K

$12.57 ₱797

506.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,833

$0.80 ₱50.5

126.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,874

$0.20 ₱12.66

965.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$1.87 ₱118

334.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,117

$1.17 ₱74.5

9.40%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

61.69%

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

77.97%

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

$178 COP 573.8K

$119 ₱7,578

48.80%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$15.62 ₱991

-11.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.2K

$24.25 ₱1,538

26.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$30.78 ₱1,953

36.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$5.09 ₱323

230.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$5.17 ₱328

44.49%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$130 ₱8,234

508.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$7,809 ₱495.4K

57.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.7K

$32.78 ₱2,080

163.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.3K

$19.34 ₱1,227

206.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.6K

$71.5 ₱4,537

93.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.0K

$54.6 ₱3,461

81.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$248 ₱15.7K

440.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$164 ₱10.4K

307.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$497 ₱31.6K

297.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$352 ₱22.3K

193.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$2,638 ₱167.4K

55.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,089 ₱69.1K

78.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$277 ₱17.6K

133.56%

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 Marawi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Marawi

$164 22.8% 75.5% $504

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Marawi

$179 24.9% 41.9% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Marawi

$159 22.2% 28.4% $63

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Marawi

$80 11.1% 53.9% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Marawi

$80 11.2% 53.4% $92

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Marawi

$15 2.1% 83.6% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Marawi

$41 5.7% 27.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $248 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 2.3 times 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: $47 in Medellin vs $16 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $179 per month, with Marawi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Marawi

🕒 Local time

10:54 10:54 AM

23:54 11:54 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

207,010

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.44 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.03 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Marawi 17,300 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Marawi

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 Marawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $718 in Marawi, so Marawi is about 58% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Medellin is about 2.3 times higher, 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: $1,341 in Medellin versus $248 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $718 in Marawi – Marawi is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Marawi runs roughly 84% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $718 in Marawi versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Marawi but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Marawi 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 Marawi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.