Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zamboanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Zamboanga: $714 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Zamboanga
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Zamboanga Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Zamboanga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zamboanga

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $714 in Zamboanga, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Zamboanga $714

A couple spends around $2,439 per month in Medellin vs $1,096 in Zamboanga, rent included.

Medellin $2,439
Zamboanga $1,096

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,478 in Zamboanga, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Zamboanga $1,478

Medellin costs about 137% more than Zamboanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 24% above the global median, while Zamboanga is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$1.31 ₱82.7

536.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$16.52 ₱1,047

181.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$3.32 ₱210

185.24%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.05 ₱130

52.68%

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

$1.77 COP 5,700

$0.91 ₱57.5

94.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,597

$0.39 ₱24.93

264.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.45 ₱91.7

117.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$1.95 ₱123

192.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,946

$1.80 ₱114

-15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,394

$1.38 ₱87.4

65.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,276

$1.10 ₱69.9

76.36%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,895

$1.44 ₱91.1

113.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$4.69 ₱298

113.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$3.88 ₱246

169.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$3.13 ₱198

346.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$3.00 ₱190

35.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,932

$1.20 ₱75.9

27.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,791

$3.78 ₱240

-44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,402

$1.15 ₱73.1

99.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,807

$1.18 ₱74.8

78.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,515

$2.40 ₱152

-28.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,776

$0.85 ₱53.8

37.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,099

$0.49 ₱31.25

222.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.69 ₱170

45.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$4.22 ₱268

232.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,685

$1.30 ₱82.4

35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,752

$1.99 ₱126

36.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,807

$0.17 ₱11.04

594.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.2K

$12.49 ₱791

510.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,831

$0.74 ₱47.15

144.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,871

$0.22 ₱13.92

868.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$1.90 ₱121

327.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,115

$0.97 ₱61.5

31.96%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

64.98%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$18.6K ₱1.2M

83.61%

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

$178 COP 573.5K

$118 ₱7,496

50.27%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$15.47 ₱981

-10.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.2K

$47.75 ₱3,027

-35.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$35.86 ₱2,273

16.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$5.11 ₱324

228.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$5.02 ₱318

48.80%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$131 ₱8,285

504.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$7,774 ₱492.7K

58.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.6K

$32.15 ₱2,037

168.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.2K

$19.42 ₱1,231

205.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.4K

$71.8 ₱4,548

92.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.9K

$54.0 ₱3,422

83.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$250 ₱15.8K

436.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$166 ₱10.5K

301.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$329 ₱20.8K

500.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$353 ₱22.4K

192.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$2,668 ₱169.1K

53.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,111 ₱70.4K

74.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$191 ₱12.1K

237.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.92

58.09%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zamboanga: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Zamboanga

$166 23.3% 75.1% $501

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Zamboanga

$165 23% 46.5% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Zamboanga

$181 25.4% 18.4% $41

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Zamboanga

$61 8.6% 64.5% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Zamboanga

$80 11.2% 53.7% $92

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Zamboanga

$15 2.1% 83.9% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Zamboanga

$46 6.4% 19.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $254 in Zamboanga. 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 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $16 in Zamboanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $182 – making Zamboanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Zamboanga

🕒 Local time

06:03 6:03 AM

19:03 7:03 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,613 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.38 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Zamboanga 17,570 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Zamboanga

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 Zamboanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 137%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,071 in Zamboanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zamboanga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $16 in Zamboanga. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $714 in Zamboanga. That makes Zamboanga about 58% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zamboanga, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Zamboanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zamboanga – 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 Zamboanga. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.