Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pangasinan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pangasinan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $803 in Pangasinan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,195 in Pangasinan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $1,587 in Pangasinan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 98% more than Pangasinan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Pangasinan is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$1.18 ₱73.8

578.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 150.3K

$13.38 ₱839

247.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.5K

$4.04 ₱253

133.42%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,398

$2.55 ₱160

14.12%

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

$1.75 COP 5,657

$1.07 ₱67.0

63.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,273

$0.55 ₱34.22

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$0.82 ₱51.1

281.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

$3.13 ₱196

77.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,553

$1.10 ₱68.9

28.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,878

$0.84 ₱52.6

190.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,258

$0.74 ₱46.71

120.27%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,107

$2.40 ₱150

17.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.3K

$7.30 ₱458

32.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.1K

$4.87 ₱305

91.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.4K

$6.92 ₱434

94.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$2.45 ₱153

63.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,780

$2.02 ₱127

-26.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,856

$3.26 ₱204

-34.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,271

$2.40 ₱151

-6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,171

$3.57 ₱224

-46.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,228

$3.45 ₱217

-53.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,706

$1.11 ₱69.9

3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,074

$0.55 ₱34.21

129.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$2.60 ₱163

46.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.3K

$7.82 ₱491

67.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,149

$1.33 ₱83.6

20.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,282

$2.03 ₱127

11.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,779

$0.25 ₱15.64

368.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 242.1K

$11.07 ₱694

577.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,108

$0.62 ₱38.63

104.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,616

$0.21 ₱13.11

876.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.5K

$1.90 ₱119

331.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$0.92 ₱57.8

38.04%

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

$26.8K COP 86.4M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

24.16%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

77.27%

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

$162 COP 523.6K

$154 ₱9,672

5.19%

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

$13.12 COP 42.4K

$16.37 ₱1,027

-19.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.7K

$31.09 ₱1,950

-9.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 143.1K

$33.00 ₱2,069

34.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.7K

$4.72 ₱296

245.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$7.31 ₱458

-16.69%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$134 ₱8,377

472.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$7,372 ₱462.4K

20.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 274.3K

$34.00 ₱2,132

149.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.6K

$19.48 ₱1,222

195.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 425.3K

$82.5 ₱5,172

59.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 309.1K

$55.6 ₱3,488

72.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$271 ₱17.0K

279.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 2.0M

$183 ₱11.5K

230.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$520 ₱32.6K

246.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$357 ₱22.4K

177.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.7M

$2,486 ₱155.9K

57.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

$1,000 ₱62.7K

63.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.5

45.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $271 in Pangasinan. 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $13.00 in Pangasinan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $203 – making Pangasinan 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 Pangasinan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 98%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,204 in Pangasinan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pangasinan, 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $13.00 in Pangasinan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $803 in Pangasinan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pangasinan, where all-in costs run around $803, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Pangasinan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pangasinan – 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 Pangasinan. 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.