Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Naga

For one person, living is cheaper in Naga: $558 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Naga
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Naga Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Naga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$558

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Naga

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $558 in Naga, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Naga $558

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $852 in Naga, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Naga $852

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,147 in Naga, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Naga $1,147

Medellin costs about 189% more than Naga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Naga is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$5.26 ₱331

50.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$13.42 ₱845

243.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$2.70 ₱170

251.85%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.67 ₱168

16.48%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.71 ₱44.50

157.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.25 ₱15.80

452.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.32 ₱83.3

131.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.14 ₱197

75.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.95 ₱123

-25.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.85 ₱53.3

177.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.82 ₱51.7

104.88%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.70 ₱107

68.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$10.19 ₱642

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$4.07 ₱256

134.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$6.99 ₱440

100.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.98 ₱125

105.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.63 ₱102

-7.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.44 ₱154

-11.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$2.43 ₱153

-4.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.57 ₱162

-24.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$2.22 ₱140

-26.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$4.76 ₱300

-76.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.62 ₱39.28

101.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$2.89 ₱182

38.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$3.77 ₱237

254.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.61 ₱101

5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$0.57 ₱36.08

131.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.26 ₱79.4

3.17%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$99.1 ₱6,242

73.58%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$23.41 ₱1,474

-42.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$26.23 ₱1,651

9.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$8.07 ₱508

460.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$4.80 ₱302

30.83%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$8,052 ₱507.0K

11.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$158 ₱9,919

569.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$85.9 ₱5,411

616.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$251 ₱15.8K

653.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$194 ₱12.2K

428.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$145 ₱9,126

350.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Naga: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Naga

$86 15.4% 86% $530

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Naga

$206 * 36.9% 30.1% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Naga

$149 26.7% 30.5% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Naga

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Naga

$99 17.7% 41.2% $69

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Naga

$0.6 * 0.1% 99.4% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Naga

$18 3.2% 69.4% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $158 in Naga. 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 350% 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $13.00 in Naga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $206 – making Naga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Naga

🕒 Local time

09:31 9:31 AM

22:31 10:31 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

115,750

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Naga 16,980 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Naga

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 Naga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 189%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $837 in Naga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Naga, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $13.00 in Naga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Naga, where all-in costs run around $558, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Naga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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