Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Palawan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Palawan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $801 in Palawan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,231 in Palawan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,661 in Palawan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 110% more than Palawan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Palawan is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$3.52 ₱221

127.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$19.32 ₱1,214

147.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$3.25 ₱204

204.31%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.65 ₱167

18.11%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.78 ₱49.27

144.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.39 ₱24.72

287.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.24 ₱78.1

151.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$2.16 ₱136

166.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.92 ₱121

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.27 ₱79.7

96.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.03 ₱64.6

71.84%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$2.05 ₱129

44.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$7.85 ₱493

28.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$4.28 ₱269

136.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$7.93 ₱498

80.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.98 ₱187

38.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.55 ₱97.6

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$2.68 ₱169

-16.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.62 ₱102

38.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$2.30 ₱144

-11.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$2.60 ₱164

-40.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.07 ₱67.1

9.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.71 ₱44.74

84.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.81 ₱177

38.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$6.87 ₱432

103.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.17 ₱73.3

48.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$1.98 ₱124

44.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.28 ₱17.61

335.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$11.56 ₱726

596.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$0.79 ₱49.57

65.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.22 ₱13.81

895.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$2.08 ₱131

318.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.09 ₱68.7

25.69%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$26.1K ₱1.6M

6.68%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

71.80%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$113 ₱7,088

57.15%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$32.31 ₱2,030

-57.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$27.98 ₱1,758

6.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$33.76 ₱2,121

32.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$4.36 ₱274

292.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$5.80 ₱364

14.66%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$151 ₱9,501

437.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$4,399 ₱276.4K

108.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$45.96 ₱2,887

94.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$26.55 ₱1,668

122.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$76.7 ₱4,821

80.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$53.8 ₱3,380

89.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$265 ₱16.6K

300.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$173 ₱10.9K

282.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$584 ₱36.7K

223.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$393 ₱24.7K

161.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$2,364 ₱148.5K

76.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,003 ₱63.0K

66.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.67

64.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Palawan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $265 in Palawan. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Palawan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $204 – making Palawan 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 Palawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 110%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,202 in Palawan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palawan, 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 $19.00 in Palawan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $801 in Palawan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Palawan, where all-in costs run around $801, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Palawan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Palawan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Palawan. 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.