Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Taytay Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Taytay

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $725 in Taytay, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,108 in Taytay, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,491 in Taytay, rent included.

Medellin costs about 126% more than Taytay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Taytay is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.0K

$4.67 ₱291

72.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.9K

$19.60 ₱1,222

146.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.3K

$3.11 ₱194

202.89%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,120

$2.46 ₱154

19.51%

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

$1.86 COP 5,786

$0.77 ₱48.02

141.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,519

$0.47 ₱29.03

210.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,969

$1.14 ₱71.4

181.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$1.64 ₱102

248.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,467

$1.63 ₱101

-11.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,454

$1.13 ₱70.5

112.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,274

$1.02 ₱63.6

66.67%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,975

$2.10 ₱131

37.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$4.98 ₱311

102.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.0K

$3.34 ₱208

198.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.1K

$7.14 ₱445

98.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$2.28 ₱142

74.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,921

$1.56 ₱97.6

1.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,682

$2.43 ₱152

-11.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,141

$1.04 ₱65.1

121.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,223

$1.68 ₱105

19.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,687

$1.81 ₱113

-16.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,734

$0.67 ₱41.60

79.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,981

$0.53 ₱32.91

141.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$2.99 ₱186

28.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$8.88 ₱554

57.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,302

$0.92 ₱57.2

85.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,515

$2.11 ₱131

29.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,868

$0.25 ₱15.56

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.9K

$11.31 ₱705

588.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,052

$0.82 ₱51.1

59.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,739

$0.21 ₱13.07

933.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.8K

$1.90 ₱118

336.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,209

$1.21 ₱75.6

12.40%

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

$27.5K COP 85.3M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

28.28%

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

$36.5K COP 113.4M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

90.81%

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

$169 COP 523.8K

$122 ₱7,602

38.41%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$15.13 ₱943

-10.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.9K

$23.63 ₱1,473

19.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.9K

$32.22 ₱2,009

41.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.5K

$4.73 ₱295

264.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$5.32 ₱332

25.00%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$133 ₱8,286

504.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$8,800 ₱548.8K

4.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 271.2K

$28.63 ₱1,786

205.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.3K

$19.77 ₱1,233

200.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 431.3K

$71.0 ₱4,424

95.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.8K

$55.2 ₱3,440

84.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$273 ₱17.0K

292.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$175 ₱10.9K

272.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$508 ₱31.7K

278.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

$349 ₱21.8K

200.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$2,566 ₱160.0K

60.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$1,020 ₱63.6K

66.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Taytay: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $273 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $20.00 in Taytay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $173 – making Taytay 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 Taytay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 126%, 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 $1,088 in Taytay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taytay, 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 $20.00 in Taytay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $725 in Taytay. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Taytay, where all-in costs run around $725, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Taytay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Taytay. 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.