Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Taguig City Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Taguig City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,011 in Taguig City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,551 in Taguig City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,091 in Taguig City, rent included.

Medellin costs about 62% more than Taguig City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Taguig City is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.92 ₱246

105.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$25.81 ₱1,618

87.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$3.15 ₱197

199.05%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.45 ₱154

20.00%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.78 ₱48.78

138.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.42 ₱26.06

247.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.13 ₱70.9

184.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.37 ₱149

140.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.94 ₱122

-25.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.42 ₱89.0

69.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.86 ₱54.2

97.67%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.86 ₱117

55.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$5.00 ₱313

101.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.64 ₱291

114.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.85 ₱492

80.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.25 ₱141

76.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.91 ₱120

-17.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.85 ₱179

-24.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.05 ₱65.8

119.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.66 ₱104

20.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.69 ₱168

-43.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.56 ₱97.5

-23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.59 ₱36.71

116.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.02 ₱189

27.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.81 ₱552

59.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.24 ₱77.9

37.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.07 ₱130

32.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.22 ₱13.80

468.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.76 ₱47.87

72.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.25 ₱15.76

768.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$1.89 ₱119

338.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.14 ₱71.6

19.30%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

28.22%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$19.7K ₱1.2M

85.74%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$111 ₱6,965

51.85%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$14.93 ₱936

-9.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$23.17 ₱1,452

22.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$39.82 ₱2,496

14.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.85 ₱430

-2.92%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$135 ₱8,451

495.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$9,076 ₱569.0K

1.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$41.50 ₱2,602

110.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$27.56 ₱1,728

115.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$67.6 ₱4,240

105.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$57.9 ₱3,630

76.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$518 ₱32.4K

106.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$445 ₱27.9K

46.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$2,478 ₱155.3K

-22.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$851 ₱53.3K

23.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$4,037 ₱253.1K

2.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,359 ₱85.2K

24.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$472 ₱29.6K

38.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.83

60.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Taguig City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $518 in Taguig City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $26.00 in Taguig City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $197 – making Taguig City 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 Taguig City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 62%, 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 $1,516 in Taguig City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taguig City, 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 $26.00 in Taguig City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Taguig City, where all-in costs run around $1,011, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Taguig City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Taguig City. 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.