Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tagum City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $429 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$429

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tagum City

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $429 in Tagum City, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Tagum City $429

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $532 in Tagum City, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Tagum City $532

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $635 in Tagum City, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Tagum City $635

Medellin costs about 283% more than Tagum City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tagum City is 69% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$5.56 ₱356

45.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$12.74 ₱816

269.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$5.00 ₱320

90.00%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$2.21 ₱141

36.20%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.90 ₱122

67.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$1.37 ₱88.0

319.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.65 ₱106

-8.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$1.85 ₱118

56.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$7.63 ₱488

83.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$6.22 ₱398

-36.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$1.36 ₱87.3

22.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.22 ₱14.01

431.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.31 ₱83.8

3.05%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$54.2 ₱3,467

213.18%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$7.88 ₱504

71.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$27.21 ₱1,742

3.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$23.49 ₱1,503

86.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$3.25 ₱208

112.62%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$158 ₱10.1K

663.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$126 ₱8,033

411.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$317 ₱20.3K

540.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$203 ₱13.0K

223.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tagum City: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Tagum City

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Tagum City

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Tagum City

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Tagum City

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Tagum City

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Tagum City

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Tagum City

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $158 in Tagum City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 3.2 times higher, 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 $47 in Medellin versus $13 in Tagum City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $85 – making Tagum City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🕒 Local time

04:53 4:53 AM

17:53 5:53 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

296,202

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.41 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Tagum City 17,190 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tagum City

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 Tagum City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 283%, 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 $643 in Tagum City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tagum City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $158 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 251% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $13 in Tagum City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Tagum City, where all-in costs run around $429, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Tagum City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $429 in Tagum City to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Tagum City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.