Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pampanga Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pampanga

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,028 per month in Medellin vs $653 in Pampanga, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $1,093 in Pampanga, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Medellin vs $1,533 in Pampanga, rent included.

Medellin costs about 57% more than Pampanga, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Pampanga are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Pampanga 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$3.05 ₱184

96.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$17.48 ₱1,053

87.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$3.12 ₱188

137.82%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$2.73 ₱164

-39.56%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$0.40 ₱23.91

167.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.36 ₱21.44

111.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$1.14 ₱68.4

50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.44 ₱147

31.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$1.49 ₱89.8

-29.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$1.08 ₱65.2

21.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$0.90 ₱54.5

48.89%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$1.50 ₱90.0

46.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$4.55 ₱274

-3.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$2.98 ₱180

90.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$7.18 ₱432

18.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$2.11 ₱127

10.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$1.04 ₱62.5

6.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$2.34 ₱141

-35.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$0.92 ₱55.6

48.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$1.64 ₱99.1

-29.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$1.75 ₱105

-32.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$0.97 ₱58.4

-13.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.62 ₱37.51

38.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$2.08 ₱125

8.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$6.28 ₱378

84.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$0.79 ₱47.31

51.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$1.38 ₱83.1

79.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$0.29 ₱17.53

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

$11.38 ₱685

258.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$0.84 ₱50.3

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$0.29 ₱17.49

562.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$2.11 ₱127

268.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$1.14 ₱68.7

-11.40%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$18.1K ₱1.1M

-2.32%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$17.4K ₱1.0M

52.36%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$131 ₱7,870

-37.94%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$26.60 ₱1,602

-64.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$26.17 ₱1,576

-8.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$51.6 ₱3,108

-49.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$4.46 ₱269

319.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$4.37 ₱263

-6.41%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$122 ₱7,365

157.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$1,766 ₱106.4K

240.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$28.70 ₱1,729

108.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$26.55 ₱1,599

20.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$59.1 ₱3,559

71.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$42.61 ₱2,566

146.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$149 ₱8,983

225.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$97.4 ₱5,866

274.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$596 ₱35.9K

38.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$415 ₱25.0K

75.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$2,487 ₱149.8K

20.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$998 ₱60.1K

31.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$300 ₱18.1K

83.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.17

117.67%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Pampanga: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Medellin versus $149 in Pampanga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 83% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $17.00 in Pampanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $155 – making Pampanga 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 Pampanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 57%, 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 $1,542 per month in Medellin and $980 in Pampanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pampanga, 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 $17.00 in Pampanga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,028 in Medellin and $653 in Pampanga. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Pampanga, where all-in costs run around $653, than in Medellin at $1,028. In Pampanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pampanga – 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 Pampanga. 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.