Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, Laguna and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz, Laguna: $616 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz, Laguna
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Santa Cruz, Laguna Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Santa Cruz, Laguna

🇵🇭 Philippines

$616

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $616 per month in Santa Cruz, Laguna vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Cruz, Laguna $616
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $911 per month in Santa Cruz, Laguna vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Cruz, Laguna $911
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,206 per month in Santa Cruz, Laguna vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Cruz, Laguna $1,206
Medellin $3,186

Santa Cruz, Laguna is about 62% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santa Cruz, Laguna sits 55% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.55 ₱98.9

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-80.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.73 ₱495

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-83.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.79 ₱178

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-70.63%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ₱113

$3.01 COP 9,485

-41.53%

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

$0.37 ₱23.94

$1.80 COP 5,660

-79.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ₱15.44

$1.41 COP 4,443

-82.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱64.8

$3.18 COP 9,990

-68.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₱57.3

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-84.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ₱98.5

$1.51 COP 4,751

1.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱73.5

$2.38 COP 7,480

-51.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱58.0

$1.77 COP 5,573

-48.59%

Eggs

$1.52 ₱97.2

$2.89 COP 9,093

-47.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.82 ₱308

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-52.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-66.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.20 ₱461

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-48.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.8

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-65.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.49 ₱31.57

$1.55 COP 4,883

-68.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ₱91.8

$2.18 COP 6,867

-34.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.8

$2.18 COP 6,870

-51.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ₱107

$1.96 COP 6,174

-14.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 ₱107

$1.59 COP 5,000

5.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱39.31

$1.15 COP 3,604

-46.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.17

$1.24 COP 3,911

-58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ₱188

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-26.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 ₱544

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-37.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱61.5

$1.66 COP 5,222

-42.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₱132

$2.26 COP 7,104

-8.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.13

$1.17 COP 3,674

-82.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.50 ₱736

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-85.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.82

$1.27 COP 3,989

-40.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.02

$2.05 COP 6,442

-89.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱124

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-77.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₱76.6

$1.35 COP 4,237

-11.11%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-39.23%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-45.40%

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

$82.8 ₱5,298

$170 COP 533.7K

-51.20%

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

$17.51 ₱1,120

$13.55 COP 42.6K

29.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.58 ₱1,445

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-19.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.30 ₱1,747

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-37.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.47 ₱286

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-74.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱322

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-27.21%

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

$128 ₱8,206

$797 COP 2.5M

-83.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱678.6K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

16.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.32 ₱1,812

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-66.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.21 ₱1,229

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-66.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.6 ₱4,454

$135 COP 424.6K

-48.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.7 ₱3,437

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-45.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 ₱14.0K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-81.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 ₱10.2K

$642 COP 2.0M

-75.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 ₱30.7K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-76.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₱19.1K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-70.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,453 ₱157.0K

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-41.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,079 ₱69.0K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-43.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

10.94

-38.30%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz, Laguna: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$160 26%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 301% $481

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$153 24.8%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 94.3% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$123 20%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 71.9% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$77 12.5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 120% $92

Eating Out

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$51 8.3%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 231% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$37 6.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 54% $20

Getting Around

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$14 2.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 560% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $219 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $1,208 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 $8 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $153 vs $297 – making Santa Cruz, Laguna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Santa Cruz, Laguna

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

03:06 3:06 AM

14:06 2:06 PM

13 h behind Santa Cruz, Laguna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,574

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.23 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Cruz, Laguna Medellin 17,060 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz, Laguna
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

Santa Cruz, Laguna vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 166%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $923 per month in Santa Cruz, Laguna and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Cruz, Laguna, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $219 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8 in Santa Cruz, Laguna and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $616 in Santa Cruz, Laguna and $1,639 in Medellin. That’s a gap of about 166%.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, Laguna, where all-in costs run around $616, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Santa Cruz, Laguna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Santa Cruz, Laguna is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 166% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.