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: $1,216 in Cabarete versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,850 in Cabarete versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,484 in Cabarete versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Cabarete costs roughly 28% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cabarete is 11% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.62 DOP 448

$8.02 COP 25.0K

-4.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 DOP 2,995

$47.87 COP 149.4K

6.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 DOP 388

$9.89 COP 30.8K

-33.16%

Cappuccino

$2.00 DOP 118

$3.13 COP 9,767

-36.10%

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

$1.09 DOP 64.0

$1.91 COP 5,954

-42.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 DOP 37.44

$1.51 COP 4,712

-57.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 DOP 153

$3.12 COP 9,747

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 DOP 204

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-39.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 DOP 85.6

$1.44 COP 4,509

1.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 DOP 92.9

$2.49 COP 7,759

-36.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 DOP 97.9

$1.77 COP 5,535

-5.65%

Eggs

$2.32 DOP 136

$2.96 COP 9,235

-21.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.36 DOP 433

$10.07 COP 31.4K

-26.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.86 DOP 344

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-42.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.86 DOP 403

$14.30 COP 44.6K

-52.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 DOP 178

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-26.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 DOP 46.36

$1.61 COP 5,019

-50.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 DOP 165

$2.25 COP 7,007

24.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 DOP 108

$2.25 COP 7,028

-18.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 DOP 120

$2.04 COP 6,375

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 DOP 135

$1.54 COP 4,790

49.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 DOP 61.9

$1.17 COP 3,651

-10.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 DOP 51.8

$1.31 COP 4,077

-32.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 DOP 241

$3.90 COP 12.2K

5.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 DOP 622

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-24.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 DOP 153

$1.74 COP 5,439

49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 DOP 151

$2.87 COP 8,956

-10.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 DOP 57.9

$1.22 COP 3,792

-19.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 DOP 195

$1.31 COP 4,084

154.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 DOP 137

$2.19 COP 6,825

6.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 DOP 355

$8.71 COP 27.2K

-30.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 DOP 71.0

$1.37 COP 4,260

-11.68%

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

$23.3K DOP 1.4M

$27.8K COP 86.9M

-16.47%

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

$33.6K DOP 2.0M

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-6.03%

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

$93.9 DOP 5,515

$177 COP 553.2K

-47.06%

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

$31.97 DOP 1,879

$13.88 COP 43.3K

130.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.57 DOP 2,208

$29.72 COP 92.8K

26.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.15 DOP 1,478

$44.88 COP 140.1K

-43.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 DOP 461

$6.65 COP 20.7K

17.89%

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

$256 DOP 15.1K

$813 COP 2.5M

-68.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,507 DOP 441.1K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

-18.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.91 DOP 2,698

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-48.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.82 DOP 2,751

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-20.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 DOP 5,250

$138 COP 431.2K

-35.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 DOP 7,428

$102 COP 318.7K

23.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 DOP 41.5K

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-33.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 DOP 29.6K

$663 COP 2.1M

-24.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 DOP 71.0K

$1,888 COP 5.9M

-36.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 DOP 46.6K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-22.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$302 DOP 17.7K

$1,675 COP 5.2M

-81.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.56

10.94

23.95%

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

Last update for Cabarete: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $706 in Cabarete and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Cabarete vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $223 vs $305, 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 38% 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 $1,824 in Cabarete and $2,521 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: $706 in Cabarete versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $256 in Cabarete versus $813 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 $51.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,216 in Cabarete versus $1,681 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 $1,216 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 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.