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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $777 in Marawi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,220 in Marawi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,663 in Marawi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 31% more expensive than Marawi, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Marawi 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$3.53 ₱215

68.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$17.57 ₱1,067

89.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$3.21 ₱195

125.23%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.45 ₱149

-33.47%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.77 ₱46.78

41.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.37 ₱22.25

97.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.36 ₱82.6

27.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.11 ₱128

53.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.82 ₱110

-42.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.21 ₱73.5

6.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.94 ₱56.9

40.43%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.99 ₱121

14.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$8.00 ₱486

-45.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.23 ₱257

39.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$7.52 ₱457

14.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$3.01 ₱183

-25.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.59 ₱96.3

-32.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.69 ₱163

-43.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.54 ₱93.6

-7.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$2.30 ₱139

-49.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$2.54 ₱154

-53.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.08 ₱65.5

-17.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.73 ₱44.05

23.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.77 ₱168

-18.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$8.69 ₱528

27.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.19 ₱72.4

-4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.04 ₱124

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.26 ₱15.66

223.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.78 ₱47.15

80.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.22 ₱13.34

763.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$2.19 ₱133

253.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.15 ₱70.0

-12.17%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$26.2K ₱1.6M

-32.92%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$20.5K ₱1.2M

29.22%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$113 ₱6,854

-25.87%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$32.80 ₱1,992

-71.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$27.22 ₱1,653

-11.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$33.51 ₱2,035

-24.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$4.54 ₱276

321.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$5.86 ₱356

-30.03%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$153 ₱9,279

104.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$4,316 ₱262.1K

38.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$45.03 ₱2,734

28.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$26.69 ₱1,620

21.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$75.3 ₱4,570

32.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$53.8 ₱3,264

101.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$271 ₱16.4K

78.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$179 ₱10.9K

112.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$580 ₱35.2K

44.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$396 ₱24.0K

82.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$2,579 ₱156.6K

10.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,030 ₱62.6K

18.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$291 ₱17.6K

86.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.67

101.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Marawi: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $271 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 86% 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 $18.00 in Marawi. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $205, 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 Marawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Marawi differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $777 including rent). Marawi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 86% 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 $271 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $153 in Marawi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Marawi – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $777 in Marawi versus $1,017 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 31% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.