Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Marawi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Marawi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $717 in Marawi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,102 in Marawi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,487 in Marawi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 134% more expensive than in Marawi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Marawi is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.61 ₱226

122.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$14.46 ₱907

231.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$2.77 ₱174

257.04%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.16 ₱136

44.91%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.58 ₱36.42

229.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.30 ₱19.08

403.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.26 ₱79.3

147.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$1.73 ₱109

232.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.69 ₱106

-14.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.16 ₱72.6

114.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.95 ₱59.9

86.32%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.92 ₱121

54.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$5.30 ₱332

90.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.10 ₱257

146.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$6.99 ₱438

104.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.27 ₱142

82.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.62 ₱101

-0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.39 ₱150

-5.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.18 ₱73.8

90.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.02 ₱127

0.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.95 ₱122

-21.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.77 ₱48.43

51.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.52 ₱32.70

151.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.21 ₱201

21.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.80 ₱427

106.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$0.81 ₱50.6

114.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.88 ₱118

52.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.26 ₱16.28

369.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$9.46 ₱593

750.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.76 ₱47.88

72.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.23 ₱14.48

852.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$1.75 ₱110

397.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.09 ₱68.1

25.69%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$20.3K ₱1.3M

36.81%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$22.1K ₱1.4M

61.90%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$108 ₱6,761

64.49%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$12.81 ₱803

8.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$24.42 ₱1,531

21.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$36.16 ₱2,268

24.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$4.31 ₱270

297.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$4.88 ₱306

36.27%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$131 ₱8,237

519.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$8,059 ₱505.4K

14.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$31.86 ₱1,998

180.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$19.13 ₱1,200

208.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$70.3 ₱4,408

96.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$55.0 ₱3,447

85.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$262 ₱16.4K

305.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$172 ₱10.8K

284.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$492 ₱30.8K

283.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$351 ₱22.0K

192.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,956 ₱185.4K

41.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,034 ₱64.9K

61.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$284 ₱17.8K

139.05%

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 14, 2026

Last update for Marawi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $262 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 139% 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 $14.00 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $174 per month, with Marawi 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 Marawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Marawi differ by about 134% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $717 including rent). Marawi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 139% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $262 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $717 in Marawi – a 134% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Marawi runs roughly 751% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $717 in Marawi versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 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 134% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.