Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Subic Bay Freeport Zone

For one person, living is cheaper in Subic Bay Freeport Zone: $641 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Subic Bay Freeport Zone
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Subic Bay Freeport Zone Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🇵🇭 Philippines

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Subic Bay Freeport Zone

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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $641

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $978 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $978

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,315 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $1,315

Medellin costs about 156% more than Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Subic Bay Freeport Zone is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$4.60 ₱293

75.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$14.04 ₱894

235.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$5.13 ₱327

85.19%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.21 ₱141

36.20%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.68 ₱43.04

164.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.33 ₱21.32

327.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.39 ₱88.6

128.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.01 ₱128

186.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.58 ₱100

-4.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.09 ₱69.5

118.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$0.85 ₱54.1

108.24%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.93 ₱123

49.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$4.86 ₱310

109.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.99 ₱254

147.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$7.56 ₱481

85.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.13 ₱136

86.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.73 ₱110

-10.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.54 ₱162

-14.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.15 ₱73.3

89.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$2.21 ₱141

-11.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$2.08 ₱133

-23.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.92 ₱58.6

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.61 ₱38.57

103.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.84 ₱181

39.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$7.35 ₱468

86.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.92 ₱58.8

80.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.83 ₱117

23.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.18 ₱11.78

550.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$12.86 ₱819

501.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.80 ₱51.3

58.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.21 ₱13.37

876.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$1.85 ₱118

362.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.03 ₱65.8

31.07%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

78.08%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$20.0K ₱1.3M

73.68%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$135 ₱8,578

25.96%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$14.33 ₱913

-5.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$16.57 ₱1,055

69.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$30.08 ₱1,916

45.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$5.28 ₱337

225.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.23 ₱333

32.12%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$127 ₱8,078

528.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$7,688 ₱489.6K

18.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$29.05 ₱1,850

191.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$20.80 ₱1,325

178.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$63.5 ₱4,046

112.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$46.93 ₱2,989

108.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$124 ₱7,896

874.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$77.0 ₱4,905

732.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$323 ₱20.6K

527.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$186 ₱11.9K

443.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,434 ₱155.0K

71.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,143 ₱72.8K

67.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Subic Bay Freeport Zone: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$77 12% 88% $565

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$177 27.6% 40.5% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$166 25.8% 21.6% $46

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$94 14.6% 44.7% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$72 11.3% 57.3% $97

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$15 2.4% 83.5% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$41 6.3% 29.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $124 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. 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 $14 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $177 – making Subic Bay Freeport Zone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🕒 Local time

23:54 11:54 PM

12:54 12:54 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

221,178

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Subic Bay Freeport Zone 17,090 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Subic Bay Freeport Zone

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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 156%, 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 $962 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $124 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $14 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. 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 $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. That makes Subic Bay Freeport Zone about 61% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, where all-in costs run around $641, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Subic Bay Freeport Zone it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Subic Bay Freeport Zone is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 61% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.