Medellín vs Siargao

Real cost of living, rent, internet, safety and visa terms for both cities, side by side — then open the interactive tool to weight them against your own priorities.

Medellín, Colombia
🇨🇴Colombia

Medellín

57Freedom Score#89Global rank$1,500Per month

The City of Eternal Spring offers low cost, a booming expat scene, and perfect US market hour alignment — ideal for day traders.

Siargao, Philippines
🇵🇭Philippines

Siargao

66Freedom Score#62Global rank$1,000Per month

The Philippines' surf-island paradise — Cloud 9 waves, palm-fringed lagoons, and a tight island-nomad community with an easy 30-day visa.

The short answer

Compare these two in the full toolBoth cities pre-loaded — add your income and priorities to get a personal match score

Cost of living

Monthly figures for one person. Rent, meals and coworking are measured values, not shares of the total budget.

ExpenseMedellínSiargao
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,500$1,000✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$800$350✓
Meal, mid-range$6✓$7
Coworking deskper month$160✓$190
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper36.4✓40.0

Quality of life

Scored 0–100 on the same attributes the match engine weights, so these agree with the interactive tool.

MeasureMedellínSiargao
Safety
65
62
Healthcare
70
38
Walkability
75
45
English spoken
55
80
Food & dining
80
58
Nightlife
100
62
Outdoors
82
38
Nomad community
90
68
Climate quality
82
72
Public transit
65
30

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureMedellínSiargao
Freedom Score57/10066/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#89#62✓
Internet120 Mbps✓35 Mbps
Average temperature68°F82°F
Air quality65/100✓30/100
Airport connectivity70/100✓32/100
Nomad visa90 days30 days free
Headline tax rateon local income18%20%

Which should you choose?

Choose Medellín if internet is faster at 120 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (65 vs 62), it is more walkable and the climate scores better.

Choose Siargao if runs $500/mo cheaper, rent is $450/mo lower and English is more widely spoken.

What each city is known for

Medellín

  • Perfect US market hours — trade 9:30am–4pm without staying up late
  • Massive expat community in El Poblado neighborhood
  • Eternal spring climate — 72°F year-round, no AC needed
  • Foreign income not taxed under 183-day rule

Siargao

  • Cloud 9: Philippines' surf capital
  • Palm islands, lagoons, island-hopping
  • Tight nomad and surfer community
  • Laid-back island life

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Medellín or Siargao?
Siargao scores higher on the Freedom Score (66/100 against 57/100), which makes it the stronger all-round base. That is an average, though — if cost, climate or community is what actually decides it for you, the tables above will point the other way as often as not.
Which is cheaper: Medellín or Siargao?
Siargao is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,000 against $1,500, a difference of $500 a month or about $6,000 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $800/mo in Medellín versus $350/mo in Siargao.
Which is safer: Medellín or Siargao?
Medellín scores higher on safety, 65/100 against 62/100. Safety scores blend crime levels, political stability and healthcare access, and they describe a city as a whole — individual neighbourhoods vary far more than the headline number suggests.
How fast is the internet in Medellín and Siargao?
Medellín averages 120 Mbps and Siargao averages 35 Mbps, so Medellín has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Medellín or Siargao?
Medellín sits in Colombia (90 days) and Siargao in Philippines (30 days free). Requirements, income floors and processing times change often, so check the visa and residency guide before you commit to either.
Open the interactive comparison

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Cost, connectivity and quality-of-life figures come from the YourLifeMatch city dataset. Where a value is not confirmed it reads n.a. rather than an estimate. Figures are for planning, not professional advice.