Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Naga and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Naga: $558 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Naga
🇵🇭 Philippines
$558
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Naga and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Naga and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $558 per month in Naga vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Naga $558
  • Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $852 per month in Naga vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Naga $852
  • Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,147 per month in Naga vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Naga $1,147
  • Medellin $3,190

Naga is about 65% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Naga sits 59% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Naga
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.26 ₱331
$7.93 COP 25.2K
-33.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$13.42 ₱845
$46.13 COP 146.3K
-70.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.70 ₱170
$9.50 COP 30.1K
-71.58%
Cappuccino
$2.67 ₱168
$3.11 COP 9,866
-14.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 ₱44.50
$1.83 COP 5,800
-61.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 ₱15.80
$1.38 COP 4,360
-81.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.32 ₱83.3
$3.05 COP 9,672
-56.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 ₱197
$5.50 COP 17.4K
-42.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Naga
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ₱123
$1.45 COP 4,600
34.48%
White Bread (500g)
$0.85 ₱53.3
$2.36 COP 7,496
-63.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.82 ₱51.7
$1.68 COP 5,328
-51.19%
Eggs
$1.70 ₱107
$2.86 COP 9,077
-40.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 ₱642
$10.19 COP 32.3K
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.07 ₱256
$9.53 COP 30.2K
-57.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.99 ₱440
$14.04 COP 44.5K
-50.21%
Apples (1kg)
$1.98 ₱125
$4.07 COP 12.9K
-51.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 ₱102
$1.50 COP 4,742
8.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.44 ₱154
$2.17 COP 6,891
12.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.43 ₱153
$2.31 COP 7,310
5.19%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 ₱162
$1.93 COP 6,113
33.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 ₱140
$1.64 COP 5,196
35.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$4.76 ₱300
$1.13 COP 3,571
321.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 ₱39.28
$1.25 COP 3,954
-50.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.89 ₱182
$3.99 COP 12.6K
-27.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.77 ₱237
$13.35 COP 42.3K
-71.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ₱101
$1.70 COP 5,384
-5.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.37 COP 7,525
-
🚌 Getting Around
Naga
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.21 COP 3,827
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$76.5 COP 242.5K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.57 ₱36.08
$1.32 COP 4,179
-56.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$2.14 COP 6,774
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$8.47 COP 26.8K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 ₱79.4
$1.30 COP 4,114
-3.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$28.0K COP 88.7M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$35.4K COP 112.3M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Naga
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.1 ₱6,242
$172 COP 545.6K
-42.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 ₱1,474
$13.37 COP 42.4K
75.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.23 ₱1,651
$28.73 COP 91.1K
-8.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Naga
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$8.07 ₱508
$45.24 COP 143.5K
-82.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.04 COP 54.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.80 ₱302
$6.28 COP 19.9K
-23.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Naga
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$770 COP 2.4M
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,052 ₱507.0K
$9,011 COP 28.6M
-10.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Naga
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$86.4 COP 274.0K
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$57.1 COP 181.1K
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$137 COP 432.9K
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$97.9 COP 310.4K
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Naga
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$158 ₱9,919
$1,055 COP 3.3M
-85.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$85.9 ₱5,411
$616 COP 2.0M
-86.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$251 ₱15.8K
$1,892 COP 6.0M
-86.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$194 ₱12.2K
$1,023 COP 3.2M
-81.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,678 COP 5.3M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Naga
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$145 ₱9,126
$652 COP 2.1M
-77.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
10.94
-

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

Last update for Naga: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Naga
$206 *
Medellin
$295 43.2% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Naga
$149
Medellin
$214 44% $65
Eating Out
Naga
$99
Medellin
$168 70.2% $69
Accommodation & Living
Naga
$86
Medellin
$616 617% $530
Sport & Entertainment
Naga
$18
Medellin
$58 227% $40
Getting Around
Naga
$0.6 *
Medellin
$93 16272% $93
Clothing & Footwear
Naga
- *
Medellin
$170

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $158 in Naga versus $1,055 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 350% higher in Medellin, 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 $13.00 in Naga versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $295 – making Naga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Naga
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
22:00 10:00 PM
09:00 9:00 AM
13 h behind Naga
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
115,750
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Naga Medellin 16,980 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Naga
  • Medellin

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
Naga vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Naga?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 189%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $837 per month in Naga and $2,421 in Medellin. 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 Naga, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Naga and in Medellin?
Groceries cost about 43% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Naga or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Naga and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Naga or in Medellin?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Naga, where all-in costs run around $558, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Naga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Naga or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Naga – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Naga or Medellin?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Naga. 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.

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