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: $884 in Cabarete versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,347 in Cabarete versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,810 in Cabarete versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Cabarete costs roughly 14% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cabarete 34% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.25 DOP 369

$5.92 COP 21.4K

5.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.25 DOP 2,142

$32.75 COP 118.2K

10.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 DOP 366

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-14.03%

Cappuccino

$2.26 DOP 133

$1.70 COP 6,140

32.94%

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

$1.04 DOP 61.4

$1.10 COP 3,966

-5.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 DOP 48.82

$0.72 COP 2,605

15.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 DOP 148

$1.67 COP 6,022

50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 DOP 219

$3.10 COP 11.2K

19.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 DOP 53.6

$1.06 COP 3,809

-14.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 DOP 80.5

$1.25 COP 4,497

8.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 DOP 89.4

$1.39 COP 5,022

8.63%

Eggs

$1.65 DOP 97.7

$2.26 COP 8,168

-26.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.95 DOP 410

$4.33 COP 15.6K

60.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 DOP 271

$5.84 COP 21.1K

-21.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.52 DOP 326

$8.83 COP 31.9K

-37.49%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 DOP 54.1

$2.24 COP 8,099

-58.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 DOP 51.1

$1.08 COP 3,882

-19.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 DOP 114

$1.53 COP 5,522

26.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 DOP 78.8

$1.37 COP 4,950

-2.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 DOP 63.5

$1.13 COP 4,078

-5.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 DOP 104

$1.12 COP 4,036

58.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 DOP 65.4

$0.85 COP 3,057

30.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 DOP 56.2

$0.91 COP 3,281

4.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 DOP 198

$2.33 COP 8,414

43.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 DOP 693

$11.13 COP 40.2K

5.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 DOP 140

$1.19 COP 4,309

99.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 DOP 162

$2.37 COP 8,553

16.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 DOP 41.15

$0.79 COP 2,838

-11.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 DOP 195

$1.44 COP 5,184

129.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 DOP 126

$1.91 COP 6,901

11.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.84 DOP 345

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-27.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 DOP 76.1

$0.94 COP 3,385

37.23%

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

$26.8K DOP 1.6M

$17.9K COP 64.7M

49.44%

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

$31.6K DOP 1.9M

$26.8K COP 96.7M

17.91%

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

$51.7 DOP 3,055

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-38.42%

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

$25.48 DOP 1,505

$9.60 COP 34.7K

165.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.70 DOP 987

$24.16 COP 87.2K

-30.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.36 DOP 2,562

$25.88 COP 93.4K

67.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 DOP 410

$3.92 COP 14.1K

77.04%

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

$269 DOP 15.9K

$306 COP 1.1M

-12.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,153 DOP 481.8K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

37.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 DOP 3,557

$57.9 COP 209.1K

3.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 DOP 2,992

$31.82 COP 114.9K

59.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 DOP 5,615

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-4.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 DOP 6,885

$107 COP 386.8K

8.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 DOP 51.6K

$487 COP 1.8M

79.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 DOP 15.3K

$368 COP 1.3M

-29.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 DOP 35.5K

$826 COP 3.0M

-27.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 DOP 21.8K

$716 COP 2.6M

-48.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$307 DOP 18.1K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-78.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $874 in Cabarete and $487 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 $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 17% 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 $1,326 in Cabarete and $1,550 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: $874 in Cabarete versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Cabarete versus $306 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 $884 in Cabarete versus $1,034 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 $884 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 17% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.