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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,028 per month in Medellin vs $778 in Palawan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $1,198 in Palawan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Medellin vs $1,617 in Palawan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 32% more than Palawan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$3.52 ₱212

70.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$19.48 ₱1,173

68.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$3.29 ₱198

125.53%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$2.63 ₱159

-37.26%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$0.81 ₱48.82

32.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.36 ₱21.83

111.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$1.26 ₱75.7

36.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.18 ₱131

46.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$1.89 ₱114

-44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$1.20 ₱72.5

9.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$1.02 ₱61.4

31.37%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$2.00 ₱121

9.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$8.08 ₱487

-45.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$4.15 ₱250

37.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$7.91 ₱476

7.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$2.87 ₱173

-18.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$1.51 ₱91.2

-26.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$2.66 ₱160

-42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$1.61 ₱97.3

-14.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$2.21 ₱133

-47.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$2.55 ₱154

-53.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$1.08 ₱64.8

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.77 ₱46.09

11.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$2.86 ₱172

-20.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$6.69 ₱403

73.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$1.21 ₱73.1

-0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$1.96 ₱118

26.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$0.28 ₱16.96

182.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$0.84 ₱50.5

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$0.22 ₱13.20

772.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$2.09 ₱126

271.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$1.13 ₱68.1

-10.62%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$26.6K ₱1.6M

-33.74%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

27.32%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$111 ₱6,691

-27.00%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$32.52 ₱1,958

-71.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$27.29 ₱1,643

-12.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$34.17 ₱2,058

-23.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$4.45 ₱268

320.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$5.78 ₱348

-29.24%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$152 ₱9,137

107.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$4,295 ₱258.7K

40.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$46.52 ₱2,802

28.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$26.48 ₱1,595

20.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$76.3 ₱4,594

32.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$53.0 ₱3,190

98.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$262 ₱15.8K

85.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$179 ₱10.8K

103.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$584 ₱35.2K

41.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$389 ₱23.4K

87.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$2,314 ₱139.3K

29.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$969 ₱58.4K

35.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Palawan: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Medellin versus $262 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Palawan. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $202 in Palawan – 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 Palawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 32%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,542 per month in Medellin and $1,168 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $19.00 in Palawan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Palawan, where all-in costs run around $778, than in Medellin at $1,028. 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.