Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nueva Ecija

For one person, living is cheaper in Nueva Ecija: $517 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Nueva Ecija
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Nueva Ecija Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Nueva Ecija

🇵🇭 Philippines

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Nueva Ecija

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $517 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Nueva Ecija $517

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $912 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Nueva Ecija $912

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,307 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Nueva Ecija $1,307

Medellin costs about 217% more than Nueva Ecija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Nueva Ecija is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$3.85 ₱246

110.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$16.14 ₱1,031

191.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$2.72 ₱174

249.26%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.43 ₱91.4

110.49%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.55 ₱35.33

227.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.30 ₱19.45

370.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$0.94 ₱60.2

238.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$1.55 ₱98.9

270.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.60 ₱102

-5.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$0.94 ₱60.0

153.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$0.92 ₱59.0

92.39%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.57 ₱100

84.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$4.89 ₱313

108.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$3.29 ₱210

200.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$5.70 ₱364

145.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$2.18 ₱139

82.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$0.69 ₱44.00

124.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.69 ₱108

28.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.05 ₱67.2

107.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.73 ₱110

13.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.77 ₱113

-10.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.64 ₱40.93

79.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.41 ₱26.51

202.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.25 ₱144

76.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$4.23 ₱270

223.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$0.90 ₱57.5

84.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.97 ₱126

14.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.28 ₱18.06

317.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$5.35 ₱342

1346.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$0.73 ₱46.80

73.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.14 ₱8.77

1364.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$1.03 ₱65.9

730.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$0.85 ₱54.5

58.82%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$15.8K ₱1.0M

115.74%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

82.78%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$78.6 ₱5,019

115.95%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$17.26 ₱1,103

-21.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$18.13 ₱1,158

54.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$31.13 ₱1,989

40.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$4.65 ₱297

269.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$4.32 ₱276

59.95%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$133 ₱8,488

499.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$10.9K ₱694.7K

-16.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$28.55 ₱1,824

196.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$19.54 ₱1,248

196.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$70.5 ₱4,501

91.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$53.9 ₱3,443

81.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$113 ₱7,241

965.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$66.9 ₱4,272

859.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$174 ₱11.1K

1063.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$348 ₱22.2K

190.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$2,619 ₱167.4K

59.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,200 ₱76.7K

59.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$184 ₱11.8K

257.10%

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 Nueva Ecija: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Nueva Ecija

$67 12.9% 89.6% $575

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Nueva Ecija

$144 27.8% 51.6% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Nueva Ecija

$114 22% 46.1% $97

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Nueva Ecija

$67 13% 60.3% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Nueva Ecija

$78 15% 54.1% $91

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Nueva Ecija

$7.9 1.5% 91.6% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Nueva Ecija

$40 7.7% 30.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $113 in Nueva Ecija. 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 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $16 in Nueva Ecija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $144 – making Nueva Ecija the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Nueva Ecija

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

09:23 9:23 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

64,610

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Nueva Ecija 16,980 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Nueva Ecija

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 Nueva Ecija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 217%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $776 in Nueva Ecija. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nueva Ecija, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $113 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $16 in Nueva Ecija. 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 $517 in Nueva Ecija. That makes Nueva Ecija about 68% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Nueva Ecija, where all-in costs run around $517, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Nueva Ecija it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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