Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Marikina

For one person, living is cheaper in Marikina: $689 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Marikina
Learn more

Marikina Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Marikina

🇵🇭 Philippines

$689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Marikina

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $689 in Marikina, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Marikina $689

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,068 in Marikina, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Marikina $1,068

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,447 in Marikina, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Marikina $1,447

Medellin costs about 138% more than Marikina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Marikina is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.94 ₱251

105.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$31.68 ₱2,019

48.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$3.21 ₱205

195.95%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.18 ₱139

38.07%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.59 ₱37.91

205.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.31 ₱19.59

354.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$1.03 ₱65.4

208.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$2.42 ₱154

137.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.80 ₱115

-16.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.26 ₱80.0

88.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.00 ₱63.6

77.00%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.00 ₱127

44.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$6.91 ₱440

47.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$4.15 ₱264

137.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$6.74 ₱429

107.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.32 ₱148

71.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.00 ₱127

-22.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.38 ₱152

-8.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$2.30 ₱147

-5.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$2.38 ₱152

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$3.53 ₱225

-54.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.06 ₱67.3

8.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.68 ₱43.09

82.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.83 ₱180

39.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$8.56 ₱545

59.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$0.95 ₱60.7

74.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.96 ₱125

15.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.48 ₱30.69

143.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$0.68 ₱43.44

86.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.21 ₱13.35

876.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$1.90 ₱121

350.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.18 ₱75.5

14.41%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

63.99%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

85.02%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$135 ₱8,620

25.42%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$15.48 ₱987

-12.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$27.51 ₱1,753

2.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$36.07 ₱2,298

21.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.83 ₱435

1.17%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$131 ₱8,367

506.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$7,188 ₱458.0K

26.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$58.3 ₱3,713

45.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$27.72 ₱1,766

109.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$73.3 ₱4,672

84.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$55.3 ₱3,524

76.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$177 ₱11.3K

580.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$78.7 ₱5,017

714.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$318 ₱20.2K

538.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$138 ₱8,793

633.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,099 ₱70.0K

279.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$467 ₱29.8K

309.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$384 ₱24.4K

71.27%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Marikina: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Marikina

$79 11.4% 87.7% $563

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Marikina

$201 29.2% 32.2% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Marikina

$178 25.9% 15.6% $33

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Marikina

$81 11.7% 52.3% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Marikina

$97 14% 42.8% $72

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Marikina

$3.7 * 0.5% 96.1% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Marikina

$50 7.2% 13.6% $7.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $177 in Marikina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 71% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $32 in Marikina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $201 – making Marikina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Marikina

🕒 Local time

19:04 7:04 PM

08:04 8:04 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

456,059

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Marikina 17,050 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Marikina

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 Marikina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $689 in Marikina – Marikina comes out roughly 58% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,034 in Marikina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Marikina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $177 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $689 in Marikina. That makes Marikina about 58% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $131 in Marikina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Marikina, where all-in costs run around $689, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Marikina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Marikina – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Marikina. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.