Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pampanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Pampanga: $683 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Pampanga
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Pampanga Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Pampanga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Pampanga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Pampanga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $683 in Pampanga, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Pampanga $683

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,034 in Pampanga, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Pampanga $1,034

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,385 in Pampanga, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Pampanga $1,385

Medellin costs about 136% more than Pampanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Pampanga is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$2.74 ₱173

189.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$15.91 ₱1,001

189.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$3.28 ₱206

189.63%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.17 ₱136

43.32%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.61 ₱38.47

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.31 ₱19.69

345.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.18 ₱74.3

158.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.01 ₱126

173.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.43 ₱89.9

1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.11 ₱70.2

112.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.78 ₱49.42

115.38%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.50 ₱94.1

90.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$4.10 ₱258

148.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$2.90 ₱183

228.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$6.37 ₱401

120.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.86 ₱117

118.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$0.93 ₱58.4

61.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.12 ₱134

2.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.04 ₱65.2

122.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.46 ₱92.2

32.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.51 ₱95.3

8.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.83 ₱52.0

36.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.54 ₱34.11

131.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$1.94 ₱122

105.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$5.98 ₱377

123.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$0.70 ₱43.99

142.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.24 ₱78.1

91.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.26 ₱16.52

365.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$11.36 ₱715

573.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$0.74 ₱46.64

78.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.23 ₱14.49

830.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$1.74 ₱109

386.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.05 ₱66.3

23.81%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

49.75%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$17.6K ₱1.1M

101.61%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$131 ₱8,249

31.34%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$14.96 ₱942

-10.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$28.08 ₱1,768

2.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$29.56 ₱1,861

53.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$4.82 ₱303

253.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$4.86 ₱306

29.22%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$131 ₱8,262

486.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$7,954 ₱500.8K

13.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$26.71 ₱1,682

223.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$19.85 ₱1,250

187.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$71.8 ₱4,521

90.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$37.39 ₱2,354

161.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$268 ₱16.9K

293.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$170 ₱10.7K

262.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$517 ₱32.5K

266.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$371 ₱23.4K

175.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,405 ₱151.4K

68.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$992 ₱62.5K

69.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$299 ₱18.8K

118.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.79

61.12%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pampanga: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Pampanga

$170 24.9% 72.4% $446

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Pampanga

$144 21.1% 51.1% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Pampanga

$174 25.5% 18.7% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Pampanga

$70 10.3% 58.8% $100

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Pampanga

$71 10.5% 57.6% $97

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Pampanga

$14 2.1% 84.7% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Pampanga

$39 5.8% 32.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $268 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 118% 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in Pampanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $144 – making Pampanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Pampanga

🕒 Local time

19:17 7:17 PM

08:17 8:17 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

15,616

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Pampanga 17,230 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Pampanga

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 136%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,025 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $16.00 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 $1,614 in Medellin and $683 in Pampanga. That's a gap of about 136%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Pampanga, where all-in costs run around $683, than in Medellin at $1,614. 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.