Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Surigao

For one person, living is cheaper in Surigao: $733 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Surigao
Learn more

Surigao Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Surigao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Surigao

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $733 in Surigao, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Surigao $733

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,113 in Surigao, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Surigao $1,113

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,492 in Surigao, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Surigao $1,492

Medellin costs about 131% more than Surigao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Surigao is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$3.95 ₱251

111.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$16.72 ₱1,062

178.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$2.82 ₱179

235.82%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$2.13 ₱135

46.95%

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$0.67 ₱42.83

164.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$0.31 ₱19.60

358.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.16 ₱73.5

171.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$2.01 ₱128

183.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

$1.60 ₱102

-4.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$1.14 ₱72.4

100.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

$0.97 ₱61.3

100.00%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

$1.85 ₱118

65.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$5.62 ₱357

77.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$4.15 ₱264

151.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$6.87 ₱436

103.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.42 ₱154

67.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

$1.58 ₱100

-3.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

$2.32 ₱147

-9.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

$1.13 ₱71.7

102.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

$2.12 ₱135

-0.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

$2.26 ₱143

-24.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

$1.09 ₱69.4

7.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

$0.57 ₱36.48

177.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$2.95 ₱187

32.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

$7.34 ₱466

91.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

$0.91 ₱57.6

93.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

$1.92 ₱122

41.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

$0.22 ₱13.94

436.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$12.28 ₱780

521.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

$0.76 ₱48.05

138.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

$0.22 ₱13.99

868.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$1.90 ₱120

327.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$1.22 ₱77.6

4.92%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

61.87%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

77.25%

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

$178 COP 576.4K

$120 ₱7,606

48.36%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$15.80 ₱1,003

-12.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$34.90 ₱2,216

-11.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$31.82 ₱2,020

31.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$5.07 ₱322

231.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$5.06 ₱321

47.63%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$128 ₱8,117

517.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$7,715 ₱489.8K

59.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

$32.90 ₱2,089

162.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$19.32 ₱1,227

206.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

$71.4 ₱4,535

93.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

$53.7 ₱3,409

84.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$250 ₱15.9K

436.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$168 ₱10.7K

297.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$485 ₱30.8K

307.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$348 ₱22.1K

196.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$2,651 ₱168.3K

54.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,124 ₱71.3K

72.66%

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 Surigao: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Surigao

$168 22.9% 74.8% $499

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Surigao

$179 24.4% 41.9% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Surigao

$171 23.3% 23.3% $52

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Surigao

$79 10.8% 54% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Surigao

$80 10.9% 53.7% $92

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Surigao

$15 2.1% 83.9% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Surigao

$42 5.7% 26.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $250 in Surigao. 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 Surigao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $179 – making Surigao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Surigao

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

18:43 6:43 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

171,107

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.49 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.17 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Surigao 17,070 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Surigao

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 Surigao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 131%, 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 $1,100 in Surigao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surigao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $250 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $17 in Surigao. 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 $733 in Surigao. That makes Surigao about 57% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Surigao, where all-in costs run around $733, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Surigao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Surigao 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.