Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabarete and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabarete and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $875 in Cabarete versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,324 in Cabarete versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,773 in Cabarete versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Cabarete costs roughly 13% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cabarete 34% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.54 DOP 380

$5.91 COP 18.6K

10.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 DOP 2,110

$32.96 COP 103.8K

10.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 DOP 352

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-18.44%

Cappuccino

$2.19 DOP 127

$1.65 COP 5,207

32.73%

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

$1.02 DOP 59.4

$1.10 COP 3,468

-7.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 DOP 49.02

$0.78 COP 2,458

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 DOP 152

$1.72 COP 5,412

52.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 DOP 212

$3.18 COP 10.0K

14.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 DOP 57.3

$1.10 COP 3,474

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 DOP 78.5

$1.26 COP 3,962

7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 DOP 87.8

$1.38 COP 4,349

9.42%

Eggs

$1.59 DOP 92.2

$2.18 COP 6,858

-27.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 DOP 420

$4.49 COP 14.1K

60.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 DOP 274

$5.79 COP 18.2K

-18.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.78 DOP 336

$8.97 COP 28.2K

-35.56%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 DOP 55.9

$2.32 COP 7,308

-58.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 DOP 49.79

$1.06 COP 3,352

-18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 DOP 112

$1.52 COP 4,774

26.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 DOP 74.9

$1.36 COP 4,270

-5.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 DOP 65.2

$1.13 COP 3,552

-0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 DOP 101

$1.17 COP 3,689

49.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 DOP 61.4

$0.90 COP 2,838

17.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 DOP 50.4

$0.90 COP 2,823

-3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 DOP 202

$2.23 COP 7,034

56.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 DOP 629

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-10.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 DOP 131

$1.19 COP 3,743

89.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 DOP 159

$2.48 COP 7,815

10.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 DOP 38.48

$0.85 COP 2,687

-22.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 DOP 192

$1.42 COP 4,459

132.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 DOP 123

$1.95 COP 6,141

8.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 DOP 339

$7.89 COP 24.8K

-26.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 DOP 74.8

$0.99 COP 3,118

30.30%

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

$26.7K DOP 1.6M

$17.6K COP 55.4M

51.65%

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

$32.0K DOP 1.9M

$26.8K COP 84.4M

19.45%

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

$50.1 DOP 2,910

$83.0 COP 261.4K

-39.67%

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

$25.72 DOP 1,494

$9.70 COP 30.5K

165.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.26 DOP 1,003

$23.52 COP 74.1K

-26.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.26 DOP 2,514

$25.26 COP 79.5K

71.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 DOP 384

$3.95 COP 12.4K

67.34%

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

$265 DOP 15.4K

$316 COP 994.2K

-15.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,000 DOP 464.9K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

33.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 DOP 3,421

$60.0 COP 188.9K

-1.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 DOP 2,952

$31.82 COP 100.2K

59.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 DOP 5,681

$102 COP 320.1K

-3.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 DOP 6,715

$107 COP 338.3K

7.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 DOP 50.7K

$475 COP 1.5M

83.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 DOP 14.9K

$374 COP 1.2M

-31.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 DOP 35.0K

$849 COP 2.7M

-28.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 DOP 22.0K

$719 COP 2.3M

-47.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$313 DOP 18.2K

$1,441 COP 4.5M

-78.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.9

13.43

-3.95%

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

Last update for Cabarete: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $872 in Cabarete and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Cabarete vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $182 vs $193, with Cabarete cheaper for home cooking.

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

Cabarete vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabarete wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cabarete the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,313 in Cabarete and $1,504 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $872 in Cabarete versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $265 in Cabarete versus $316 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cabarete – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $875 in Cabarete versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cabarete but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cabarete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cabarete delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $875 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cabarete hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cabarete and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cabarete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.