Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Negros

For one person, living is cheaper in Negros: $741 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Negros
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Negros Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Negros

🇵🇭 Philippines

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Negros

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $741 in Negros, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Negros $741

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,093 in Negros, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Negros $1,093

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,445 in Negros, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Negros $1,445

Medellin costs about 121% more than Negros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Negros is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$3.22 ₱206

151.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 149.0K

$11.88 ₱759

296.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$2.70 ₱172

251.85%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,550

$1.38 ₱87.9

118.12%

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

$1.80 COP 5,699

$0.69 ₱44.19

160.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,474

$0.41 ₱25.99

243.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.1K

$1.14 ₱72.5

178.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$1.90 ₱121

202.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,783

$1.90 ₱122

-20.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,532

$1.13 ₱72.4

110.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,611

$0.97 ₱61.8

82.47%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,155

$1.92 ₱123

50.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$9.50 ₱607

7.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.3K

$4.35 ₱277

126.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$7.27 ₱464

92.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$3.29 ₱210

20.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,916

$1.35 ₱86.3

14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,914

$2.36 ₱151

-7.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,917

$1.45 ₱92.4

50.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,217

$2.30 ₱147

-14.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,034

$1.92 ₱122

-17.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,628

$1.10 ₱70.5

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,938

$0.60 ₱38.45

106.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.6K

$2.93 ₱187

35.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$6.23 ₱398

119.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,257

$1.21 ₱77.5

37.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,152

$1.70 ₱108

32.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,699

$0.25 ₱15.73

368.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 245.1K

$11.20 ₱715

590.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,017

$0.73 ₱46.72

73.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,486

$0.22 ₱14.05

831.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$1.89 ₱121

352.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,266

$1.36 ₱86.7

-0.74%

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

$34.1K COP 107.9M

$21.2K ₱1.4M

60.44%

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

$34.7K COP 109.8M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

82.20%

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

$170 COP 537.4K

$118 ₱7,507

44.28%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$15.78 ₱1,008

-14.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.9K

$27.98 ₱1,786

0.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.4K

$32.93 ₱2,103

32.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$5.62 ₱359

205.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$5.32 ₱340

29.89%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$131 ₱8,387

506.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.9M

$7,971 ₱508.9K

14.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.3K

$33.13 ₱2,115

155.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.6K

$19.33 ₱1,234

199.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.5K

$75.9 ₱4,844

77.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.0K

$56.0 ₱3,575

74.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$270 ₱17.2K

347.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$175 ₱11.2K

266.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$480 ₱30.6K

322.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$308 ₱19.6K

228.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$2,799 ₱178.7K

49.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.1M

$1,194 ₱76.2K

59.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$232 ₱14.8K

183.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

56.29%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Negros: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Negros

$175 23.6% 72.7% $466

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Negros

$200 26.9% 32.8% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Negros

$161 21.8% 23.6% $50

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Negros

$64 8.7% 62.1% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Negros

$83 11.2% 50.9% $86

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Negros

$14 1.9% 85% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Negros

$44 5.9% 24.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $270 in Negros. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $12 in Negros. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $200 – making Negros the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Negros

🕒 Local time

20:16 8:16 PM

09:16 9:16 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

4,414,131

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 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 October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 3,167 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,530 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 63.85 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Negros 17,270 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Negros

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 Negros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 121%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,111 in Negros. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Negros, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $270 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $12 in Negros. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $741 in Negros. That makes Negros about 55% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Negros, where all-in costs run around $741, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Negros it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Negros – 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 Negros. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.