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: $857 in Cabarete versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,336 in Cabarete versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,815 in Cabarete versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Cabarete costs roughly 16% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cabarete 36% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.39 DOP 374

$5.95 COP 20.8K

7.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.22 DOP 2,063

$33.33 COP 116.3K

5.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.33 DOP 371

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-12.45%

Cappuccino

$2.20 DOP 129

$1.63 COP 5,687

34.97%

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

$0.98 DOP 57.4

$1.09 COP 3,821

-10.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 DOP 49.81

$0.73 COP 2,548

16.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 DOP 152

$1.74 COP 6,065

49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 DOP 216

$3.23 COP 11.3K

14.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 DOP 54.5

$1.05 COP 3,662

-11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 DOP 82.3

$1.29 COP 4,515

9.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 DOP 86.3

$1.32 COP 4,617

11.36%

Eggs

$1.64 DOP 96.3

$2.27 COP 7,927

-27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 DOP 423

$4.35 COP 15.2K

65.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 DOP 283

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-17.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.49 DOP 321

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-36.24%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 DOP 52.7

$2.25 COP 7,844

-60.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 DOP 50.4

$1.07 COP 3,733

-19.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 DOP 112

$1.52 COP 5,322

25.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 DOP 77.9

$1.42 COP 4,964

-6.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 DOP 62.0

$1.17 COP 4,084

-9.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 DOP 102

$1.17 COP 4,077

49.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 DOP 65.0

$0.89 COP 3,096

24.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 DOP 54.4

$0.90 COP 3,146

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 DOP 197

$2.25 COP 7,837

48.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.68 DOP 626

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-3.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 DOP 139

$1.14 COP 3,977

107.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 DOP 157

$2.38 COP 8,301

13.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 DOP 40.53

$0.84 COP 2,916

-17.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 DOP 200

$1.41 COP 4,912

142.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 DOP 125

$1.90 COP 6,634

12.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.99 DOP 351

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-22.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 DOP 73.1

$1.01 COP 3,509

23.76%

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

$26.5K DOP 1.6M

$17.6K COP 61.4M

50.77%

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

$31.8K DOP 1.9M

$26.5K COP 92.5M

20.18%

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

$50.5 DOP 2,957

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-39.69%

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

$24.98 DOP 1,463

$9.45 COP 33.0K

164.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.73 DOP 980

$24.11 COP 84.1K

-30.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.57 DOP 2,552

$25.31 COP 88.3K

72.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 DOP 393

$4.10 COP 14.3K

63.41%

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

$264 DOP 15.4K

$312 COP 1.1M

-15.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,042 DOP 471.1K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

34.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 DOP 3,484

$58.0 COP 202.6K

2.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 DOP 3,001

$32.56 COP 113.6K

57.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 DOP 5,562

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-4.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 DOP 6,823

$109 COP 378.8K

7.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 DOP 51.2K

$482 COP 1.7M

81.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 DOP 14.9K

$379 COP 1.3M

-32.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 DOP 35.2K

$837 COP 2.9M

-28.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 DOP 21.8K

$723 COP 2.5M

-48.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$305 DOP 17.9K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-75.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $875 in Cabarete and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Cabarete vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $183 vs $190, 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 19% 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 $1,286 in Cabarete and $1,525 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: $875 in Cabarete versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $264 in Cabarete versus $312 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 $35.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $857 in Cabarete versus $1,017 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 $857 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 19% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.