Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Taytay

For one person, living is cheaper in Taytay: $719 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Taytay, Philippines
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Taytay
🇵🇭 Philippines
$719
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Taytay

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $719 in Taytay, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Taytay $719

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,081 in Taytay, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Taytay $1,081

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,442 in Taytay, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Taytay $1,442

Medellin costs about 128% more than Taytay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Taytay is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Taytay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.6K
$4.62 ₱294
75.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 149.1K
$18.47 ₱1,177
154.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$3.22 ₱205
195.03%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,554
$2.54 ₱162
18.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,701
$0.80 ₱50.9
125.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,476
$0.49 ₱31.40
187.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.1K
$1.19 ₱75.7
167.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.2K
$1.53 ₱97.2
275.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Taytay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,785
$1.64 ₱105
-7.93%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,535
$1.10 ₱70.1
116.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,613
$0.94 ₱59.7
88.30%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,159
$2.03 ₱129
42.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$4.92 ₱313
107.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.3K
$3.38 ₱215
192.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.3K
$6.67 ₱425
109.75%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.6K
$2.20 ₱140
80.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,918
$1.52 ₱96.6
1.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,917
$2.37 ₱151
-8.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,920
$1.06 ₱67.5
105.66%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,219
$1.66 ₱106
18.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,037
$1.70 ₱108
-6.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,630
$0.60 ₱38.21
91.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,939
$0.52 ₱33.01
138.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.6K
$2.82 ₱179
40.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.4K
$8.81 ₱562
55.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,259
$0.88 ₱56.4
88.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,155
$1.97 ₱125
14.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Taytay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,701
$0.21 ₱13.11
457.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 245.2K
$13.13 ₱837
489.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,018
$0.73 ₱46.51
73.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,489
$0.21 ₱13.36
876.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.1K
$1.93 ₱123
343.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,268
$1.23 ₱78.3
9.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 108.0M
$21.0K ₱1.3M
62.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.9M
$18.8K ₱1.2M
84.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Taytay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 537.6K
$120 ₱7,619
41.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.9K
$15.26 ₱973
-11.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.9K
$22.88 ₱1,458
22.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Taytay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 138.5K
$35.63 ₱2,270
22.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.5K
$4.60 ₱293
273.70%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.9K
$5.02 ₱320
37.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Taytay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$133 ₱8,454
500.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.9M
$8,634 ₱550.2K
5.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Taytay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 268.4K
$28.02 ₱1,785
202.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 183.7K
$18.89 ₱1,204
206.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 427.6K
$71.6 ₱4,559
88.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.1K
$53.9 ₱3,432
81.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Taytay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$229 ₱14.6K
426.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$163 ₱10.4K
294.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$489 ₱31.1K
314.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$301 ₱19.2K
236.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.2M
$2,664 ₱169.7K
56.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.1M
$1,157 ₱73.7K
65.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Taytay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
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 Taytay: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Taytay
$163 74.7% $479
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Taytay
$169 43.2% $128
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Taytay
$158 25.4% $54
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Taytay
$91 46.2% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Taytay
$78 54.1% $91
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Taytay
$16 83.2% $78
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Taytay
$46 20.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $229 in Taytay. 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 $18 in Taytay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $169 – making Taytay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇵🇭 Taytay
🕒 Local time
07:03 7:03 AM
20:03 8:03 PM
13 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
386,451
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 3,169 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,545 COP (10,000 COP = 2.82 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 63.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Taytay 17,050 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Taytay

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 Taytay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Taytay cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 128%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,079 in Taytay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Taytay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $229 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Taytay?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $18 in Taytay. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Taytay?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $719 in Taytay. That makes Taytay about 56% cheaper.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Taytay?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Taytay, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Taytay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Taytay more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Taytay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Taytay is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 56% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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