Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pagadian Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pagadian

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Medellin vs $776 in Pagadian, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Medellin vs $1,092 in Pagadian, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Medellin vs $1,408 in Pagadian, rent included.

Medellin costs about 33% more than Pagadian, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Pagadian are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Pagadian 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$3.49 ₱215

76.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$17.85 ₱1,099

82.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$3.22 ₱198

127.95%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$2.90 ₱178

-40.69%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.96 ₱58.8

9.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.46 ₱28.18

67.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.08 ₱66.5

56.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.73 ₱107

83.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.72 ₱106

-38.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.07 ₱66.0

21.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.03 ₱63.3

35.92%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$2.05 ₱126

5.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$8.19 ₱504

-46.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.87 ₱300

20.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$5.85 ₱360

47.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$3.46 ₱213

-34.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$1.12 ₱68.9

-0.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$3.36 ₱207

-54.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.38 ₱85.1

-2.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$2.65 ₱163

-57.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$3.41 ₱210

-66.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.10 ₱67.9

-22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.75 ₱46.39

21.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$2.60 ₱160

-10.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$8.31 ₱511

48.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.04 ₱64.3

15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.47 ₱90.4

69.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.28 ₱17.29

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$7.15 ₱440

467.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.77 ₱47.55

84.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.22 ₱13.53

772.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$2.10 ₱129

264.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.25 ₱76.9

-20.80%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$26.7K ₱1.6M

-32.52%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

29.16%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$93.9 ₱5,784

-13.98%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$32.31 ₱1,989

-69.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$26.98 ₱1,661

-10.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$33.52 ₱2,064

-25.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$4.31 ₱265

344.32%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$5.79 ₱356

-31.26%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$154 ₱9,480

98.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$4,303 ₱264.9K

40.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$46.08 ₱2,837

26.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$26.28 ₱1,618

22.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$74.2 ₱4,569

35.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$52.2 ₱3,213

106.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$112 ₱6,883

326.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$176 ₱10.8K

113.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$245 ₱15.1K

244.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$153 ₱9,426

377.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,755 ₱169.6K

16.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$908 ₱55.9K

51.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.67

101.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Medellin versus $112 in Pagadian. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $18.00 in Pagadian. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Medellin vs $204 in Pagadian – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Pagadian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 33%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,546 per month in Medellin and $1,165 in Pagadian. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pagadian, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $18.00 in Pagadian. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,031 in Medellin and $776 in Pagadian. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pagadian, where all-in costs run around $776, than in Medellin at $1,031. In Pagadian it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pagadian – 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 Pagadian. 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.