Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Olongapo

For one person, living is cheaper in Olongapo: $694 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Olongapo
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Olongapo Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Olongapo

🇵🇭 Philippines

$694

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Olongapo

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $694 in Olongapo, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Olongapo $694

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,056 in Olongapo, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Olongapo $1,056

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,418 in Olongapo, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Olongapo $1,418

Medellin costs about 136% more than Olongapo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$4.02 ₱257

101.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$16.23 ₱1,037

189.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$2.73 ₱174

247.99%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.82 ₱116

65.38%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.54 ₱34.62

233.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.33 ₱21.11

327.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$1.03 ₱65.7

208.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$1.44 ₱92.2

299.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.67 ₱106

-9.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$0.41 ₱25.98

480.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$0.82 ₱52.2

115.85%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.90 ₱121

52.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$4.89 ₱312

108.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$2.52 ₱161

291.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$7.80 ₱498

79.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$2.25 ₱144

76.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$0.97 ₱62.1

59.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.38 ₱152

-8.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.05 ₱67.1

107.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.65 ₱105

18.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.74 ₱111

-8.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.62 ₱39.61

85.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.41 ₱26.15

202.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.97 ₱190

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$8.34 ₱533

64.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$0.87 ₱55.9

90.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$2.03 ₱129

11.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.25 ₱15.71

368.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$12.98 ₱830

496.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$0.75 ₱47.74

69.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.24 ₱15.38

754.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$1.85 ₱118

362.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.07 ₱68.6

26.17%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

65.06%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

84.03%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$124 ₱7,946

36.41%

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

$23.34 ₱1,491

20.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$31.45 ₱2,009

38.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$5.91 ₱378

190.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$4.33 ₱276

59.58%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$76.8 ₱4,907

937.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$10.6K ₱678.8K

-14.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$28.90 ₱1,847

193.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$18.85 ₱1,204

207.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$71.0 ₱4,536

90.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$54.1 ₱3,456

80.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$251 ₱16.1K

380.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$167 ₱10.6K

285.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$259 ₱16.5K

683.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$352 ₱22.5K

187.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$2,416 ₱154.4K

72.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,119 ₱71.5K

70.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$134 ₱8,587

388.91%

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 Olongapo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Olongapo

$167 24% 74% $475

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Olongapo

$155 22.3% 47.8% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Olongapo

$165 23.8% 21.9% $46

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Olongapo

$74 10.6% 56.5% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Olongapo

$78 11.2% 54% $91

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Olongapo

$16 2.3% 83% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Olongapo

$40 5.8% 30.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $251 in Olongapo. 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 4.9 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 Olongapo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $155 – making Olongapo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Olongapo

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

04:48 4:48 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

233,040

💱 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 28, 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 28, 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 Olongapo 17,090 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Olongapo

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 Olongapo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 136%, 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 $1,041 in Olongapo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Olongapo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $251 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $16 in Olongapo. 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 $694 in Olongapo. That makes Olongapo about 58% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Olongapo, where all-in costs run around $694, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Olongapo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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