Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Jose del Monte

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose del Monte: $731 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
34

Cost of Living Index in San Jose del Monte
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San Jose del Monte Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

San Jose del Monte

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in San Jose del Monte

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 Jose del Monte actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $731 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
San Jose del Monte $731

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,096 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
San Jose del Monte $1,096

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,461 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
San Jose del Monte $1,461

Medellin costs about 124% more than San Jose del Monte, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while San Jose del Monte is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$3.94 ₱252

105.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$16.34 ₱1,044

187.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$2.73 ₱174

247.99%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.74 ₱111

72.99%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.56 ₱35.61

221.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.31 ₱19.71

354.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$0.94 ₱59.8

238.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$1.60 ₱102

259.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.64 ₱105

-7.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.14 ₱72.8

108.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$0.94 ₱59.9

88.30%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.02 ₱129

43.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$5.07 ₱324

100.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$3.28 ₱210

200.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$6.92 ₱442

102.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$2.27 ₱145

74.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.57 ₱100

-1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.37 ₱152

-8.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.02 ₱64.9

113.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.70 ₱109

15.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.69 ₱108

-5.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.65 ₱41.24

76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.48 ₱30.52

158.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.86 ₱183

38.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$8.81 ₱563

55.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$0.94 ₱60.1

76.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.96 ₱126

15.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.21 ₱13.69

457.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$12.48 ₱797

519.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$0.75 ₱48.17

69.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.23 ₱14.73

791.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$1.91 ₱122

347.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.22 ₱78.2

10.66%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

63.33%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

85.49%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$122 ₱7,788

39.17%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$15.32 ₱979

-11.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$23.05 ₱1,472

21.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$35.72 ₱2,282

22.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$5.50 ₱351

212.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$5.22 ₱334

32.38%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$129 ₱8,244

517.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$8,762 ₱559.8K

4.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$28.74 ₱1,836

194.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$18.98 ₱1,213

205.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$70.5 ₱4,502

91.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$53.7 ₱3,428

82.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$230 ₱14.7K

424.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$189 ₱12.1K

239.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$437 ₱27.9K

363.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$361 ₱23.1K

179.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$2,325 ₱148.6K

79.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,217 ₱77.8K

56.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.75

62.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for San Jose del Monte: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

San Jose del Monte

$189 25.9% 70.5% $452

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

San Jose del Monte

$170 23.3% 42.6% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

San Jose del Monte

$160 21.9% 24.1% $51

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

San Jose del Monte

$72 9.9% 57.6% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

San Jose del Monte

$77 10.6% 54.2% $92

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

San Jose del Monte

$15 2.1% 83.7% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

San Jose del Monte

$46 6.3% 19.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $230 in San Jose del Monte. 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 $16 in San Jose del Monte. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $170 – making San Jose del Monte the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 San Jose del Monte

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

05:39 5:39 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

651,813

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin San Jose del Monte 17,040 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
San Jose del Monte

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 Jose del Monte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 124%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,096 in San Jose del Monte. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose del Monte, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $230 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $16 in San Jose del Monte. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $731 in San Jose del Monte. That makes San Jose del Monte about 55% cheaper.

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

For expats, San Jose del Monte is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 55% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.