Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Cruz, Laguna Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Cruz, Laguna

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $635 in Santa Cruz, Laguna, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $974 in Santa Cruz, Laguna, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,313 in Santa Cruz, Laguna, rent included.

Medellin costs about 158% more than Santa Cruz, Laguna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Santa Cruz, Laguna is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.0K

$1.64 ₱102

390.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.9K

$7.96 ₱497

506.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.3K

$2.77 ₱173

240.07%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,120

$1.78 ₱111

65.17%

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

$1.86 COP 5,786

$0.42 ₱26.14

342.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,519

$0.23 ₱14.30

534.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,969

$1.03 ₱64.0

211.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$0.93 ₱57.8

513.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,467

$1.64 ₱102

-12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,454

$1.12 ₱69.7

114.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,274

$0.94 ₱58.6

80.85%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,975

$1.56 ₱97.1

85.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$4.75 ₱296

111.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.0K

$3.49 ₱218

185.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.1K

$7.29 ₱455

94.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$1.48 ₱92.4

168.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,921

$0.50 ₱31.15

216.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,682

$1.47 ₱91.9

46.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,141

$1.08 ₱67.2

112.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,223

$1.70 ₱106

17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,687

$1.74 ₱109

-13.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,734

$0.63 ₱39.03

90.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,981

$0.53 ₱32.86

141.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$2.98 ₱186

28.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$8.65 ₱539

61.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,302

$0.93 ₱57.9

83.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,515

$2.01 ₱126

36.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,868

$0.25 ₱15.51

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.9K

$11.30 ₱705

589.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,052

$0.79 ₱49.17

65.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,739

$0.25 ₱15.59

768.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.8K

$1.90 ₱118

336.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,209

$1.21 ₱75.6

12.40%

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

$27.5K COP 85.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

30.45%

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

$36.5K COP 113.4M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

90.34%

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

$169 COP 523.8K

$87.6 ₱5,460

92.71%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$17.87 ₱1,114

-24.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.9K

$23.16 ₱1,444

22.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.9K

$32.24 ₱2,011

41.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.5K

$4.72 ₱294

264.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$5.34 ₱333

24.53%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$132 ₱8,260

506.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$10.7K ₱668.8K

-14.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 271.2K

$29.47 ₱1,838

196.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.3K

$19.28 ₱1,202

207.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 431.3K

$70.9 ₱4,419

96.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.8K

$56.1 ₱3,499

81.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$273 ₱17.0K

292.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$175 ₱10.9K

274.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$500 ₱31.2K

284.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

$355 ₱22.1K

195.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$2,640 ₱164.6K

56.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$1,024 ₱63.9K

65.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz, Laguna: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $273 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $8.00 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $156 – making Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 Santa Cruz, Laguna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 158%, 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 $953 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Cruz, Laguna, 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 $8.00 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. 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 $635 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, Laguna, where all-in costs run around $635, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Santa Cruz, Laguna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Cruz, Laguna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Cruz, Laguna. 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.