Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pasay

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasay: $907 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Pasay
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Pasay Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Pasay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Pasay

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 Pasay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $907 in Pasay, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Pasay $907

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,237 in Pasay, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Pasay $1,237

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,567 in Pasay, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Pasay $1,567

Medellin costs about 78% more than Pasay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Pasay is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$4.40 ₱277

80.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$18.94 ₱1,193

143.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$2.84 ₱179

234.51%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.26 ₱142

37.61%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.59 ₱37.36

210.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.30 ₱19.20

360.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.16 ₱73.2

162.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$1.58 ₱99.3

248.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.71 ₱108

-15.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.13 ₱71.4

108.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.97 ₱61.4

73.20%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.96 ₱123

45.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$5.15 ₱324

97.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$4.13 ₱260

130.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$7.18 ₱452

95.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.24 ₱141

81.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.53 ₱96.4

-1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.31 ₱146

-6.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.16 ₱73.2

99.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.37 ₱149

-18.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$3.34 ₱211

-50.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.25 ₱78.7

-9.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.87 ₱55.0

43.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$2.88 ₱181

38.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$7.68 ₱483

73.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$0.98 ₱61.7

73.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.77 ₱111

33.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.17 ₱10.43

611.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$0.77 ₱48.72

71.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.21 ₱13.20

919.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$1.87 ₱118

352.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.24 ₱78.1

4.84%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

30.08%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

84.06%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$139 ₱8,741

23.95%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$14.54 ₱916

-8.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$24.75 ₱1,558

16.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$47.70 ₱3,003

-5.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$5.26 ₱331

19.39%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$71.9 ₱4,524

971.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$2,541 ₱160.0K

254.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$35.39 ₱2,228

144.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$19.32 ₱1,217

195.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$71.6 ₱4,505

90.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$63.6 ₱4,004

53.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$429 ₱27.0K

145.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$312 ₱19.7K

97.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$827 ₱52.1K

128.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$364 ₱22.9K

180.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$1,891 ₱119.0K

114.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$575 ₱36.2K

192.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$510 ₱32.1K

27.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

56.29%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pasay: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Pasay

$313 34.5% 49.3% $303

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Pasay

$186 20.6% 36.8% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Pasay

$178 19.7% 16.8% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Pasay

$85 9.4% 49.8% $85

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Pasay

$83 9.2% 50.5% $85

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Pasay

$2.5 * 0.3% 97.3% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Pasay

$58 6.4% 0.7% $0.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $429 in Pasay. 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 28% 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 $19.00 in Pasay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $186 – making Pasay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Pasay

🕒 Local time

14:40 2:40 PM

03:40 3:40 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

416,522

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Pasay 17,060 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Pasay

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 Pasay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 78%, 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 $1,360 in Pasay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pasay, 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 $19.00 in Pasay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pasay, where all-in costs run around $907, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Pasay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pasay – 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 Pasay. 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.