Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panglao and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Panglao: $795 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Panglao, Philippines
Medellin, Colombia
Panglao
🇵🇭 Philippines
$795
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panglao 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 Panglao and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $795 per month in Panglao vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Panglao $795
  • Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,113 per month in Panglao vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Panglao $1,113
  • Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,431 per month in Panglao vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Panglao $1,431
  • Medellin $3,249

Panglao is about 53% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panglao sits 41% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Panglao
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.89 ₱245
$8.34 COP 26.8K
-53.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.45 ₱1,476
$46.53 COP 149.7K
-49.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.93 ₱247
$9.47 COP 30.5K
-58.50%
Cappuccino
$2.14 ₱135
$3.13 COP 10.1K
-31.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 ₱43.43
$1.77 COP 5,681
-61.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ₱29.58
$1.42 COP 4,582
-66.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.54 ₱96.8
$3.15 COP 10.1K
-51.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 ₱116
$5.70 COP 18.3K
-67.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Panglao
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 ₱99.4
$1.53 COP 4,930
3.27%
White Bread (500g)
$1.09 ₱68.7
$2.29 COP 7,370
-52.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.92 ₱58.0
$1.94 COP 6,257
-52.58%
Eggs
$1.69 ₱106
$3.07 COP 9,864
-44.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.73 ₱298
$9.99 COP 32.1K
-52.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.52 ₱284
$10.45 COP 33.6K
-56.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.65 ₱482
$13.96 COP 44.9K
-45.20%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₱120
$4.05 COP 13.0K
-53.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.31 ₱82.7
$1.53 COP 4,916
-14.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.94 ₱122
$2.10 COP 6,769
-7.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 ₱94.0
$2.29 COP 7,378
-34.93%
Potato (1kg)
$2.30 ₱145
$2.11 COP 6,785
9.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 ₱119
$1.71 COP 5,498
10.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ₱67.3
$1.17 COP 3,764
-8.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.46 ₱28.64
$1.58 COP 5,083
-70.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.89 ₱182
$3.91 COP 12.6K
-26.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.73 ₱360
$14.04 COP 45.2K
-59.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 ₱50.1
$1.76 COP 5,667
-54.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 ₱97.4
$2.71 COP 8,724
-42.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Panglao
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 ₱13.78
$1.18 COP 3,795
-81.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.47 ₱785
$76.3 COP 245.4K
-83.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.74 ₱46.38
$1.81 COP 5,812
-59.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 ₱13.88
$2.13 COP 6,849
-89.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.85 ₱117
$8.13 COP 26.2K
-77.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 ₱59.2
$1.28 COP 4,102
-26.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ₱1.3M
$34.4K COP 110.8M
-38.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$34.1K COP 109.8M
-43.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Panglao
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$58.2 ₱3,665
$178 COP 571.7K
-67.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.53 ₱411
$13.89 COP 44.7K
-52.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.87 ₱1,502
$30.74 COP 98.9K
-22.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Panglao
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.83 ₱1,311
$41.94 COP 134.9K
-50.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.16 ₱325
$16.80 COP 54.0K
-69.29%
Cinema Ticket
$3.92 ₱247
$7.47 COP 24.0K
-47.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Panglao
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$132 ₱8,314
$790 COP 2.5M
-83.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,973 ₱501.9K
$12.3K COP 39.6M
-35.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Panglao
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.20 ₱2,027
$86.3 COP 277.7K
-62.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.54 ₱1,230
$59.3 COP 190.6K
-67.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.0 ₱4,153
$138 COP 445.0K
-52.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$46.55 ₱2,930
$98.8 COP 317.8K
-52.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Panglao
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$279 ₱17.5K
$1,341 COP 4.3M
-79.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$336 ₱21.1K
$667 COP 2.1M
-49.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$541 ₱34.0K
$1,976 COP 6.4M
-72.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$396 ₱25.0K
$1,033 COP 3.3M
-61.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$933 ₱58.7K
$4,098 COP 13.2M
-77.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,091 ₱68.6K
$1,940 COP 6.2M
-43.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Panglao
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$646 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
10.94
-34.19%

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

Last update for Panglao: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Panglao
$336
Medellin
$667 98.6% $331
Groceries & Markets
Panglao
$168
Medellin
$307 82.5% $139
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Panglao
$89
Medellin
$222 151% $134
Eating Out
Panglao
$85
Medellin
$173 104% $88
Clothing & Footwear
Panglao
$74
Medellin
$172 133% $98
Sport & Entertainment
Panglao
$29
Medellin
$57 98.4% $28
Getting Around
Panglao
$15
Medellin
$93 515% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $279 in Panglao versus $1,341 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 $23 in Panglao versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $168 vs $307 – making Panglao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Panglao
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
07:46 7:46 AM
18:46 6:46 PM
13 h behind Panglao
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
39,839
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 62.95 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.66 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,217 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Panglao Medellin 17,240 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Panglao
  • 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
Panglao vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Panglao cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 113%, 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 $1,193 per month in Panglao and $2,538 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 Panglao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $279 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Panglao or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Panglao and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Panglao and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $795 in Panglao and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Panglao about 53% cheaper.
Is Panglao or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Panglao – 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, Panglao is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 53% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Panglao vs other spots: cost of living compared

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