Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Fernando, La Union

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando, La Union: $721 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando, La Union
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San Fernando, La Union Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

San Fernando, La Union

🇵🇭 Philippines

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in San Fernando, La Union

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 San Fernando, La Union actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $721 in San Fernando, La Union, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
San Fernando, La Union $721

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,102 in San Fernando, La Union, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
San Fernando, La Union $1,102

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,484 in San Fernando, La Union, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
San Fernando, La Union $1,484

Medellin costs about 135% more than San Fernando, La Union, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while San Fernando, La Union is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$3.97 ₱253

110.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$16.71 ₱1,062

178.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$2.69 ₱171

252.04%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$2.14 ₱136

46.26%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$0.69 ₱43.67

156.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$0.33 ₱21.23

330.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.19 ₱75.4

164.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$2.06 ₱131

176.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$1.65 ₱105

-7.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$1.09 ₱69.6

110.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$0.89 ₱56.7

117.98%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$1.90 ₱121

61.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$5.52 ₱351

80.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$4.09 ₱260

155.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$7.11 ₱452

96.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.39 ₱152

69.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$1.57 ₱99.6

-2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$2.33 ₱148

-9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$1.17 ₱74.6

95.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$2.06 ₱131

2.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$2.30 ₱146

-25.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$1.08 ₱68.8

8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$0.53 ₱33.65

198.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$2.82 ₱180

38.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$7.54 ₱479

86.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

$0.99 ₱62.9

77.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

$1.93 ₱122

40.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$0.22 ₱13.92

436.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$12.52 ₱796

509.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

$0.80 ₱51.0

126.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

$0.20 ₱12.72

965.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$1.91 ₱122

325.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$1.03 ₱65.7

24.27%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

65.60%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

79.08%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$119 ₱7,589

48.91%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$15.64 ₱994

-11.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$23.84 ₱1,515

28.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$31.64 ₱2,012

32.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$5.16 ₱328

225.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$5.22 ₱332

43.10%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$130 ₱8,240

509.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$7,895 ₱501.9K

55.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$33.12 ₱2,106

160.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$19.07 ₱1,213

210.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$69.2 ₱4,402

99.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$55.4 ₱3,520

78.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$251 ₱16.0K

434.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$167 ₱10.6K

299.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$490 ₱31.1K

303.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$350 ₱22.3K

195.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$2,657 ₱168.9K

54.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,125 ₱71.5K

72.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.92

58.09%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Fernando, La Union: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

San Fernando, La Union

$167 23.2% 75% $500

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

San Fernando, La Union

$179 24.8% 41.8% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

San Fernando, La Union

$159 22% 28.6% $64

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11.1% 53.8% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11% 53.8% $93

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

San Fernando, La Union

$15 2.1% 83.7% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

San Fernando, La Union

$42 5.8% 26% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $251 in San Fernando, La Union. 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 in Medellin versus $17 in San Fernando, La Union. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $179 – making San Fernando, La Union the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 San Fernando, La Union

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

09:03 9:03 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

83,003

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.57 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin San Fernando, La Union 16,920 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
San Fernando, La Union

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 San Fernando, La Union: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 135%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,082 in San Fernando, La Union. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Fernando, La Union, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $251 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $17 in San Fernando, La Union. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $721 in San Fernando, La Union. That makes San Fernando, La Union about 57% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Fernando, La Union, where all-in costs run around $721, than in Medellin at $1,692. In San Fernando, La Union it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Fernando, La Union – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, San Fernando, La Union is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 57% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.