Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nueva Ecija Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nueva Ecija

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $521 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $935 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,349 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Medellin costs about 215% more than Nueva Ecija, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Nueva Ecija is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.01 ₱251

100.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$16.60 ₱1,040

190.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$2.76 ₱173

241.30%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.46 ₱91.3

101.37%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.57 ₱35.43

226.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.32 ₱19.94

356.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.01 ₱63.4

217.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.56 ₱97.6

266.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.61 ₱101

-10.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.90 ₱56.4

166.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.88 ₱55.1

93.18%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.60 ₱100

80.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$5.18 ₱325

94.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.46 ₱217

188.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$5.67 ₱355

150.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.26 ₱141

76.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.75 ₱46.89

110.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.71 ₱107

25.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.04 ₱65.5

121.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.67 ₱105

19.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.78 ₱112

-15.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.66 ₱41.29

81.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.42 ₱26.49

204.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.19 ₱137

75.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$4.50 ₱282

211.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.90 ₱56.3

90.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.10 ₱132

30.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.27 ₱16.87

362.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$5.66 ₱355

1276.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.69 ₱43.51

89.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.18 ₱11.20

1105.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$1.03 ₱64.6

704.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.86 ₱54.0

58.14%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$16.3K ₱1.0M

68.57%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

90.84%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$81.0 ₱5,080

108.22%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$17.83 ₱1,118

-23.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$18.13 ₱1,136

56.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$31.73 ₱1,989

44.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$4.87 ₱306

253.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.40 ₱276

51.14%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$134 ₱8,392

500.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$10.6K ₱665.1K

-13.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$29.60 ₱1,856

195.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$19.35 ₱1,213

206.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$70.8 ₱4,435

96.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$56.6 ₱3,545

80.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$118 ₱7,381

809.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$66.8 ₱4,188

877.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$175 ₱11.0K

997.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$346 ₱21.7K

202.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,545 ₱159.5K

62.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,045 ₱65.5K

62.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$189 ₱11.8K

247.40%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Nueva Ecija: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $118 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 run about 247% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $17.00 in Nueva Ecija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $147 – making Nueva Ecija the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 215%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $782 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $17.00 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 $1,641 in Medellin and $521 in Nueva Ecija. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nueva Ecija, where all-in costs run around $521, than in Medellin at $1,641. 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.