Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Siargao

For one person, living is cheaper in Siargao: $783 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Siargao
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Siargao Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Siargao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$783

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Siargao

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 Siargao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $783 in Siargao, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Siargao $783

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,222 in Siargao, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Siargao $1,222

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,660 in Siargao, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Siargao $1,660

Medellin costs about 109% more than Siargao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Siargao is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.66 ₱233

121.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$19.68 ₱1,253

139.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$3.32 ₱211

186.14%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.50 ₱160

20.40%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.83 ₱52.7

116.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.40 ₱25.27

252.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.29 ₱81.9

146.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.16 ₱137

166.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.92 ₱122

-21.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.26 ₱80.2

88.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$0.93 ₱59.5

90.32%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.05 ₱131

40.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.11 ₱517

25.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.26 ₱272

131.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$7.51 ₱478

86.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.90 ₱185

36.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.52 ₱97.1

1.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.59 ₱165

-15.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.57 ₱99.8

38.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$2.19 ₱140

-10.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$2.59 ₱165

-38.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.08 ₱68.6

6.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.72 ₱45.97

72.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.80 ₱179

41.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$6.94 ₱442

97.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.16 ₱73.6

43.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.03 ₱129

11.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.26 ₱16.42

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$11.37 ₱724

580.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.78 ₱49.61

62.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.24 ₱15.37

754.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$2.09 ₱133

309.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.14 ₱72.5

18.42%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$26.6K ₱1.7M

27.89%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$20.3K ₱1.3M

70.82%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$112 ₱7,124

51.68%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$32.27 ₱2,056

-58.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$27.58 ₱1,757

1.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$33.95 ₱2,162

28.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$4.50 ₱287

282.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.98 ₱381

15.55%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$151 ₱9,619

427.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$4,239 ₱270.0K

114.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$45.52 ₱2,899

86.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$26.51 ₱1,689

118.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$76.5 ₱4,869

76.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$54.2 ₱3,450

80.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$263 ₱16.8K

358.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$173 ₱11.0K

270.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$580 ₱37.0K

249.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$387 ₱24.6K

161.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,322 ₱147.9K

79.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,123 ₱71.5K

70.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.67

64.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Siargao: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Siargao

$173 22.1% 73% $468

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Siargao

$202 25.8% 31.9% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Siargao

$172 21.9% 18.7% $40

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Siargao

$85 10.8% 49.9% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Siargao

$91 11.6% 46% $78

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Siargao

$14 1.8% 84.6% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Siargao

$46 5.9% 20.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $263 in Siargao. 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 $20 in Siargao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $202 – making Siargao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Siargao

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

18:40 6:40 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

150,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.08 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Siargao 17,020 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Siargao

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 Siargao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 109%, 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 $1,175 in Siargao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Siargao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $263 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $20 in Siargao. 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 $783 in Siargao. That makes Siargao about 52% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Siargao, where all-in costs run around $783, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Siargao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Siargao is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 52% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.