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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $760 in Pagadian, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,074 in Pagadian, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $1,389 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 24% lower, Pagadian 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.57 ₱220

67.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$18.01 ₱1,110

82.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$3.20 ₱197

121.56%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.90 ₱179

-41.03%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.93 ₱57.1

18.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.43 ₱26.38

81.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.08 ₱66.3

55.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.76 ₱108

74.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.71 ₱106

-36.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.07 ₱66.1

17.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$0.97 ₱59.8

42.27%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.03 ₱125

7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$8.25 ₱508

-46.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.98 ₱307

13.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$5.85 ₱361

51.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$3.64 ₱224

-35.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.12 ₱69.3

-5.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$3.42 ₱211

-56.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.34 ₱82.4

2.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$2.65 ₱164

-56.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$3.46 ₱213

-66.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.07 ₱66.1

-16.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.70 ₱43.42

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.71 ₱167

-15.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$7.91 ₱488

34.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.05 ₱64.6

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.54 ₱94.8

60.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.26 ₱16.03

230.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$7.18 ₱443

476.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$0.82 ₱50.9

79.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.24 ₱14.87

716.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$2.10 ₱129

268.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.19 ₱73.2

-20.17%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$26.9K ₱1.7M

-32.47%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$20.2K ₱1.2M

30.96%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$96.0 ₱5,919

-14.31%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$33.16 ₱2,045

-71.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$27.38 ₱1,688

-11.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$33.61 ₱2,072

-22.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$4.53 ₱279

319.43%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.95 ₱367

-33.95%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$149 ₱9,190

107.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$4,359 ₱268.8K

36.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$45.37 ₱2,798

29.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$26.79 ₱1,652

20.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$74.5 ₱4,592

37.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$53.1 ₱3,271

104.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$113 ₱6,956

322.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$177 ₱10.9K

114.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$248 ₱15.3K

237.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$150 ₱9,271

381.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,118 ₱130.6K

31.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$966 ₱59.6K

25.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $113 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 – $188 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 $1,519 per month in Medellin and $1,140 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 $1,013 in Medellin and $760 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 $760, than in Medellin at $1,013. 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.