Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tarlac City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tarlac City: $523 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Tarlac City
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Tarlac City Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Tarlac City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$523

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tarlac 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 Tarlac City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $523 in Tarlac City, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Tarlac City $523

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $801 in Tarlac City, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Tarlac City $801

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,080 in Tarlac City, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Tarlac City $1,080

Medellin costs about 214% more than Tarlac City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tarlac City is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$1.99 ₱127

306.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$7.94 ₱506

492.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$2.67 ₱170

255.81%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.82 ₱116

65.38%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.48 ₱30.72

275.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.30 ₱19.15

370.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$0.95 ₱60.6

234.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.58 ₱100

263.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.65 ₱105

-8.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.13 ₱72.0

110.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.01 ₱64.1

75.25%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.92 ₱123

50.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$4.95 ₱315

105.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$2.68 ₱171

268.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$6.35 ₱405

120.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.57 ₱100

152.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.51 ₱96.4

2.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.01 ₱128

8.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.02 ₱64.9

113.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.71 ₱109

14.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.19 ₱75.5

33.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.66 ₱41.80

74.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.52 ₱33.32

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.97 ₱189

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$3.72 ₱237

267.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.89 ₱56.9

86.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.52 ₱97.1

48.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.24 ₱15.31

387.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$8.05 ₱513

861.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.75 ₱47.49

69.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.22 ₱13.93

831.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$1.30 ₱82.7

557.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.11 ₱71.0

21.62%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$21.2K ₱1.4M

60.45%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

82.42%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$87.4 ₱5,565

94.15%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$5.34 ₱340

153.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$23.23 ₱1,480

20.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$39.36 ₱2,507

11.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$15.91 ₱1,014

8.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.11 ₱326

35.23%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$130 ₱8,272

513.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$10.5K ₱669.1K

-13.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$28.72 ₱1,829

194.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$18.79 ₱1,197

208.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$62.0 ₱3,947

117.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$47.50 ₱3,025

106.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$87.2 ₱5,555

1284.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$70.5 ₱4,492

809.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$248 ₱15.8K

717.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$163 ₱10.4K

520.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$370 ₱23.5K

1028.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$284 ₱18.1K

573.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$208 ₱13.3K

215.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.75

62.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tarlac City: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Tarlac City

$71 13.5% 89% $571

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Tarlac City

$148 28.4% 50.1% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Tarlac City

$116 22.2% 45.1% $95

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Tarlac City

$57 10.9% 66.5% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Tarlac City

$71 13.5% 58.2% $98

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Tarlac City

$11 2.1% 88.4% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Tarlac City

$50 9.5% 13.8% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $87 in Tarlac 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. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $8 in Tarlac City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $148 – making Tarlac City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Tarlac City

🕒 Local time

22:27 10:27 PM

11:27 11:27 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

385,398

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Tarlac City 17,010 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tarlac 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 Tarlac City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 214%, 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 $784 in Tarlac City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tarlac City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $87 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $8 in Tarlac City. 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 $523 in Tarlac City. That makes Tarlac City about 68% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Tarlac City, where all-in costs run around $523, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Tarlac City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Tarlac 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.