🙂A single person spends $777 per month in Palawan vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.
🙂A couple spends around $1,216 per month in Palawan vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.
🙂A family of three spends $1,655 per month in Palawan vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.
🙂Palawan is about 25% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.
📊Both Palawan and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Palawan42% lower, Medellin23% lower.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Palawan
Medellin
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.64₱224
$5.92COP 21.4K
-38.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.42₱1,198
$32.75COP 118.2K
-40.70%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.27₱202
$7.20COP 26.0K
-54.58%
Cappuccino
$2.64₱163
$1.70COP 6,140
55.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82₱50.6
$1.10COP 3,966
-25.45%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40₱24.55
$0.72COP 2,605
-44.44%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.23₱76.1
$1.67COP 6,022
-26.35%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15₱133
$3.10COP 11.2K
-30.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Palawan
Medellin
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱119
$1.06COP 3,809
81.13%
White Bread(500g)
$1.22₱75.3
$1.25COP 4,497
-2.40%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.97₱59.6
$1.39COP 5,022
-30.22%
Eggs
$2.06₱127
$2.26COP 8,168
-8.85%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.82₱482
$4.33COP 15.6K
80.60%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.23₱261
$5.84COP 21.1K
-27.57%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.90₱487
$8.83COP 31.9K
-10.53%
Apples(1kg)
$2.98₱184
$2.24COP 8,099
33.04%
Banana(1kg)
$1.50₱92.4
$1.08COP 3,882
38.89%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.72₱168
$1.53COP 5,522
77.78%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.59₱98.1
$1.37COP 4,950
16.06%
Potato(1kg)
$2.28₱141
$1.13COP 4,078
101.77%
Onion(1kg)
$2.50₱154
$1.12COP 4,036
123.21%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.11₱68.7
$0.85COP 3,057
30.59%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.75₱46.56
$0.91COP 3,281
-17.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.92₱180
$2.33COP 8,414
25.32%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.00₱432
$11.13COP 40.2K
-37.11%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.17₱72.1
$1.19COP 4,309
-1.68%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99₱122
$2.37COP 8,553
-16.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Palawan
Medellin
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.28₱17.42
$0.79COP 2,838
-64.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$41.13COP 148.5K
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.79₱48.48
$1.44COP 5,184
-45.14%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.24₱14.82
$1.91COP 6,901
-87.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$2.14₱132
$8.02COP 28.9K
-73.32%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.15₱71.0
$0.94COP 3,385
22.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K₱1.7M
$17.9KCOP 64.7M
49.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.1K₱1.2M
$26.8KCOP 96.7M
-25.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Palawan
Medellin
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$115₱7,066
$84.0COP 303.1K
36.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.00₱2,036
$9.60COP 34.7K
243.75%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.96₱1,725
$24.16COP 87.2K
15.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Palawan
Medellin
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$34.00₱2,097
$25.88COP 93.4K
31.38%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.38₱270
$19.04COP 68.7K
-77.00%
Cinema Ticket
$5.92₱365
$3.92COP 14.1K
51.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Palawan
Medellin
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$149₱9,178
$306COP 1.1M
-51.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$4,320₱266.5K
$5,919COP 21.4M
-27.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Palawan
Medellin
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.87₱2,829
$57.9COP 209.1K
-20.79%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.30₱1,622
$31.82COP 114.9K
-17.35%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$76.6₱4,723
$99.9COP 360.6K
-23.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$53.5₱3,299
$107COP 386.8K
-50.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Palawan
Medellin
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$265₱16.3K
$487COP 1.8M
-45.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$180₱11.1K
$368COP 1.3M
-51.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$588₱36.3K
$826COP 3.0M
-28.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$387₱23.8K
$716COP 2.6M
-46.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,309₱142.4K
$2,925COP 10.6M
-21.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$823₱50.7K
$1,407COP 5.1M
-41.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Palawan
Medellin
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$546COP 2.0M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6.67
13.43
-50.34%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Palawan: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para Medellin: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $265 in Palawan versus $487 in Medellin. 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 $19.00 in Palawan versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $204 in Palawan vs $190 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Palawan vs Medellin: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Is Medellin cheaper than Palawan?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 33%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,166 per month in Palawan and $1,550 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 Palawan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Palawan or Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Palawan and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Palawan and Medellin?
Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Palawan or Medellin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Palawan, where all-in costs run around $777, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Palawan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Palawan or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Palawan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Palawan 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 Palawan. 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.
Palawan vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado