Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Puerto Galera Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Puerto Galera

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,028 per month in Medellin vs $886 in Puerto Galera, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $1,360 in Puerto Galera, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Medellin vs $1,833 in Puerto Galera, rent included.

Medellin costs about 16% more than Puerto Galera, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Puerto Galera are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Puerto Galera 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$4.85 ₱292

23.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$21.50 ₱1,295

52.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$3.09 ₱186

140.13%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$2.86 ₱172

-42.31%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$0.95 ₱57.0

12.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.38 ₱22.59

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$1.20 ₱72.5

43.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.63 ₱158

21.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$2.10 ₱127

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$1.20 ₱72.3

9.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$1.07 ₱64.7

25.23%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$2.00 ₱120

9.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$7.18 ₱433

-38.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$4.30 ₱259

32.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$7.39 ₱445

15.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$4.27 ₱257

-45.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$1.59 ₱95.9

-30.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$2.89 ₱174

-47.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$1.64 ₱98.5

-16.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$2.84 ₱171

-59.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$4.03 ₱243

-70.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$1.59 ₱95.7

-47.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$1.06 ₱63.7

-18.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$3.25 ₱196

-30.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$7.59 ₱457

52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$1.56 ₱94.0

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$1.95 ₱117

27.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$0.28 ₱16.88

182.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$0.83 ₱49.80

77.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$0.25 ₱15.00

668.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$2.09 ₱126

271.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$1.10 ₱66.4

-8.18%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$26.1K ₱1.6M

-32.26%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

27.11%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$166 ₱9,984

-51.08%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$33.46 ₱2,015

-71.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$30.02 ₱1,808

-20.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$33.41 ₱2,012

-22.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$4.31 ₱260

334.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$7.15 ₱431

-42.80%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$80.4 ₱4,842

291.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$2,737 ₱164.8K

120.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$31.87 ₱1,919

87.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$29.63 ₱1,784

7.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$98.2 ₱5,915

3.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$94.0 ₱5,659

11.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$270 ₱16.3K

79.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$177 ₱10.6K

106.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$581 ₱35.0K

42.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$401 ₱24.1K

82.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$2,507 ₱151.0K

19.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$1,116 ₱67.2K

17.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

8.13

65.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Puerto Galera: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Medellin versus $270 in Puerto Galera. 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $21.00 in Puerto Galera. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $224 in Puerto Galera – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Puerto Galera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 16%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. 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 $1,329 in Puerto Galera. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Galera, 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 $21.00 in Puerto Galera. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Galera, where all-in costs run around $886, than in Medellin at $1,028. In Puerto Galera it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto Galera – 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 Puerto Galera. 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.