Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Panglao Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Panglao

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $822 in Panglao, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,139 in Panglao, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,456 in Panglao, rent included.

Medellin costs about 105% more than Panglao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Panglao is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.5K

$3.10 ₱194

158.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$23.19 ₱1,454

106.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$4.00 ₱251

147.25%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,941

$2.16 ₱136

44.91%

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

$1.91 COP 6,061

$0.61 ₱38.14

213.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,796

$0.48 ₱30.41

214.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,921

$1.61 ₱101

93.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$1.92 ₱121

199.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,590

$1.61 ₱101

-10.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,898

$1.10 ₱69.2

126.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,634

$0.98 ₱61.5

80.61%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,400

$1.76 ₱111

68.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$8.55 ₱536

17.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$4.38 ₱275

131.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$7.66 ₱481

86.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$1.89 ₱118

119.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,109

$1.44 ₱90.1

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,132

$1.86 ₱117

20.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,154

$1.52 ₱95.4

48.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,489

$2.36 ₱148

-13.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,876

$1.88 ₱118

-18.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,716

$1.18 ₱74.0

-0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,150

$0.49 ₱30.85

167.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.80 ₱175

39.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$5.75 ₱361

143.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,536

$0.80 ₱50.1

117.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,116

$1.63 ₱102

76.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,860

$0.24 ₱15.04

408.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.6K

$9.55 ₱599

742.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,157

$0.79 ₱49.30

65.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,947

$0.22 ₱13.80

895.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$1.94 ₱121

348.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,336

$0.90 ₱56.2

52.22%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

30.23%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

86.24%

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

$177 COP 563.1K

$59.8 ₱3,749

196.59%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$6.83 ₱428

103.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$24.22 ₱1,519

22.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.6K

$21.00 ₱1,317

113.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$4.69 ₱294

265.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$3.88 ₱243

71.39%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$130 ₱8,159

524.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$8,008 ₱502.1K

14.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.3K

$32.21 ₱2,020

177.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.3K

$19.23 ₱1,206

206.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 439.0K

$68.6 ₱4,299

101.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.4K

$56.3 ₱3,528

81.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$279 ₱17.5K

280.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$347 ₱21.8K

90.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$564 ₱35.4K

234.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$398 ₱25.0K

158.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$971 ₱60.9K

331.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$844 ₱52.9K

98.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.2

51.94%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Panglao: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $279 in Panglao. 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 $23.00 in Panglao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $182 – making Panglao 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 Panglao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 105%, 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 $1,232 in Panglao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Panglao, 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 $23.00 in Panglao. 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 $822 in Panglao. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Panglao, where all-in costs run around $822, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Panglao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Panglao – 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 Panglao. 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.