Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasay and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasay: $907 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Pasay
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Pasay Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Pasay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$907

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $907 per month in Pasay vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Pasay $907
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,237 per month in Pasay vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Pasay $1,237
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,567 per month in Pasay vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Pasay $1,567
Medellin $3,190

Pasay is about 44% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Pasay sits 33% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ₱277

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-44.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.94 ₱1,193

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-58.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.84 ₱179

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-70.11%

Cappuccino

$2.26 ₱142

$3.11 COP 9,866

-27.33%

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

$0.59 ₱37.36

$1.83 COP 5,800

-67.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱19.20

$1.38 COP 4,360

-78.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.2

$3.05 COP 9,672

-61.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₱99.3

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-71.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ₱108

$1.45 COP 4,600

17.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱71.4

$2.36 COP 7,496

-52.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.4

$1.68 COP 5,328

-42.26%

Eggs

$1.96 ₱123

$2.86 COP 9,077

-31.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.15 ₱324

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-49.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.13 ₱260

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-56.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.18 ₱452

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-48.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ₱141

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-44.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ₱96.4

$1.50 COP 4,742

2.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ₱146

$2.17 COP 6,891

6.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₱73.2

$2.31 COP 7,310

-49.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 ₱149

$1.93 COP 6,113

22.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 ₱211

$1.64 COP 5,196

103.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₱78.7

$1.13 COP 3,571

10.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₱55.0

$1.25 COP 3,954

-30.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₱181

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-27.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 ₱483

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-42.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₱61.7

$1.70 COP 5,384

-42.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₱111

$2.37 COP 7,525

-25.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 ₱10.43

$1.21 COP 3,827

-85.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.72

$1.32 COP 4,179

-41.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$2.14 COP 6,774

-90.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-77.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₱78.1

$1.30 COP 4,114

-4.62%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-23.12%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-45.67%

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

$139 ₱8,741

$172 COP 545.6K

-19.32%

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

$14.54 ₱916

$13.37 COP 42.4K

8.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.75 ₱1,558

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-13.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.70 ₱3,003

$45.24 COP 143.5K

5.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$5.26 ₱331

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-16.24%

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

$71.9 ₱4,524

$770 COP 2.4M

-90.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,541 ₱160.0K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-71.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.39 ₱2,228

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-59.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.32 ₱1,217

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-66.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ₱4,505

$137 COP 432.9K

-47.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.6 ₱4,004

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-35.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.0K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-59.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 ₱19.7K

$616 COP 2.0M

-49.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 ₱52.1K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-56.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 ₱22.9K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-64.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,891 ₱119.0K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-53.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$575 ₱36.2K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-65.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$510 ₱32.1K

$652 COP 2.1M

-21.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-36.01%

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

Last update for Pasay: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pasay

$313 34.5%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 97.1% $303

Groceries & Markets

Pasay

$186 20.6%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 58.1% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pasay

$178 19.7%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 20.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Pasay

$85 9.4%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 99.1% $85

Eating Out

Pasay

$83 9.2%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 102% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Pasay

$58 6.4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 0.7% $0.4

Getting Around

Pasay

$2.5 * 0.3%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 3663% $91

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 in Pasay 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 28% 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 $19.00 in Pasay versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $295 – making Pasay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Pasay

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

12:20 12:20 PM

13 h behind Pasay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

416,522

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pasay Medellin 17,060 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Pasay
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

Pasay vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 78%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,360 per month in Pasay and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pasay, 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 $19.00 in Pasay and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pasay, where all-in costs run around $907, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Pasay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pasay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Pasay. 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.