Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Quezon City Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Quezon City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $867 in Quezon City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,374 in Quezon City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,881 in Quezon City, rent included.

Medellin costs about 89% more than Quezon City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Quezon City is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.50 ₱282

78.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$19.32 ₱1,211

149.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$2.85 ₱179

230.53%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.74 ₱172

7.30%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.75 ₱46.72

148.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.27 ₱16.69

440.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.46 ₱91.7

119.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.75 ₱172

107.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.67 ₱104

-13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.17 ₱73.4

105.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.90 ₱56.4

88.89%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.83 ₱115

57.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$6.89 ₱432

46.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.06 ₱255

145.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.29 ₱457

94.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$4.03 ₱253

-1.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.38 ₱86.4

14.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$3.58 ₱224

-39.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.14 ₱71.2

101.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.27 ₱142

-11.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$3.32 ₱208

-54.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.38 ₱86.5

-13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.93 ₱58.1

37.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.81 ₱176

36.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.70 ₱483

81.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.36 ₱85.2

25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.85 ₱116

48.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.37 ₱23.07

237.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$19.09 ₱1,197

308.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.84 ₱52.4

55.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.23 ₱14.45

843.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$2.61 ₱164

217.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.19 ₱74.5

14.29%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

31.12%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

92.94%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$165 ₱10.4K

1.98%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$14.64 ₱918

-7.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$25.14 ₱1,576

12.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$39.02 ₱2,446

17.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$3.28 ₱206

425.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.13 ₱447

-6.73%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$74.2 ₱4,650

983.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$2,512 ₱157.5K

265.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$35.27 ₱2,211

147.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$22.88 ₱1,435

159.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$77.6 ₱4,863

79.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$76.2 ₱4,776

33.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$313 ₱19.6K

242.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$185 ₱11.6K

252.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$744 ₱46.6K

158.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$530 ₱33.2K

97.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,327 ₱145.9K

77.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,409 ₱88.3K

20.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$437 ₱27.4K

49.81%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Quezon City: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $313 in Quezon City. 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 50% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Quezon City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $206 – making Quezon City 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 Quezon City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 89%, 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 $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,301 in Quezon City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $867 in Quezon City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Quezon City, where all-in costs run around $867, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Quezon City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quezon City – 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 Quezon City. 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.