Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago City and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago City: $862 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Santiago City
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Santiago City Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Santiago City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$862

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $862 per month in Santiago City vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Santiago City $862
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,309 per month in Santiago City vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Santiago City $1,309
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,755 per month in Santiago City vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Santiago City $1,755
Medellin $3,186

Santiago City is about 47% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santiago City sits 37% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.21 ₱397

$8.09 COP 25.6K

-23.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.94 ₱2,492

$47.05 COP 148.9K

-17.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 ₱292

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-52.00%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱161

$3.01 COP 9,540

-16.61%

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

$1.10 ₱70.1

$1.80 COP 5,693

-38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.60

$1.41 COP 4,469

-62.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 ₱147

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-27.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₱196

$5.75 COP 18.2K

-46.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ₱120

$1.51 COP 4,778

23.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.9

$2.38 COP 7,524

-47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₱66.8

$1.77 COP 5,606

-41.24%

Eggs

$1.36 ₱87.2

$2.89 COP 9,146

-52.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 ₱448

$10.19 COP 32.2K

-31.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.95 ₱317

$9.87 COP 31.2K

-49.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 ₱427

$13.99 COP 44.3K

-52.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ₱150

$3.97 COP 12.6K

-41.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.55 COP 4,911

22.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 ₱205

$2.18 COP 6,907

47.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 ₱148

$2.18 COP 6,910

5.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₱220

$1.96 COP 6,210

75.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 ₱217

$1.59 COP 5,029

113.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.3

$1.15 COP 3,625

-6.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱34.50

$1.24 COP 3,934

-56.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 ₱161

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-36.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 ₱497

$13.68 COP 43.3K

-43.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₱86.5

$1.66 COP 5,252

-18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱124

$2.26 COP 7,145

-14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.70

$1.17 COP 3,696

-80.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.07 ₱773

$77.4 COP 244.8K

-84.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.35

$1.27 COP 4,013

-48.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.43

$2.05 COP 6,480

-89.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱119

$8.55 COP 27.1K

-78.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₱79.6

$1.35 COP 4,262

-8.15%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$34.1K COP 107.8M

-39.65%

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

$18.6K ₱1.2M

$34.7K COP 109.7M

-46.44%

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

$155 ₱9,914

$170 COP 536.8K

-8.68%

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

$15.75 ₱1,008

$13.55 COP 42.9K

16.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.94 ₱2,044

$28.07 COP 88.8K

13.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.85 ₱2,102

$43.70 COP 138.3K

-24.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.44 ₱284

$17.19 COP 54.4K

-74.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.89 ₱441

$6.91 COP 21.9K

-0.29%

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

$131 ₱8,392

$797 COP 2.5M

-83.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,238 ₱463.2K

$9,112 COP 28.8M

-20.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.32 ₱2,068

$84.7 COP 268.1K

-61.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.96 ₱1,213

$58.0 COP 183.4K

-67.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 ₱5,119

$135 COP 427.1K

-40.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.2 ₱3,468

$97.9 COP 309.7K

-44.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 ₱16.1K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-79.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 ₱12.1K

$642 COP 2.0M

-70.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 ₱34.4K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-73.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 ₱19.6K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-69.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,648 ₱169.5K

$4,170 COP 13.2M

-36.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,225 ₱78.4K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-35.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

10.94

-31.44%

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

Last update for Santiago City: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Santiago City

$208 24.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 42.6% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago City

$203 23.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 4.3% $8.7

Accommodation & Living

Santiago City

$189 21.9%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 240% $453

Eating Out

Santiago City

$118 13.6%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 44.2% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago City

$83 9.7%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 103% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago City

$47 5.4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 23.4% $11

Getting Around

Santiago City

$15 1.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 537% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $251 in Santiago City 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 $39 in Santiago City versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $297 – making Santiago City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Santiago City

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

06:35 6:35 AM

13 h behind Santiago City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

108,414

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 = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.41 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santiago City Medellin 16,840 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago City
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

Santiago City vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,293 per month in Santiago City 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 Santiago City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $251 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Santiago City 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 $862 in Santiago City and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Santiago City about 47% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Santiago City, where all-in costs run around $862, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Santiago City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Santiago City is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 47% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.