Cost of Living Comparison Between Dabas and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Dabas and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,182 in Dabas versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,726 in Dabas versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,269 in Dabas versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Dabas is roughly 14% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dabas 12% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.60 Ft 2,673

$5.92 COP 21.5K

45.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.09 Ft 10.9K

$32.75 COP 119.1K

7.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.60 Ft 2,673

$7.20 COP 26.2K

19.44%

Cappuccino

$1.47 Ft 457

$1.70 COP 6,186

-13.53%

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

$1.11 Ft 344

$1.10 COP 3,996

0.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 Ft 139

$0.72 COP 2,625

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 Ft 477

$1.67 COP 6,067

-8.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 Ft 434

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-54.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Ft 344

$1.06 COP 3,837

4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 Ft 438

$1.25 COP 4,531

12.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 573

$1.39 COP 5,060

32.37%

Eggs

$2.44 Ft 759

$2.26 COP 8,229

7.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 Ft 2,833

$4.33 COP 15.8K

110.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 Ft 1,812

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-0.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.11 Ft 4,385

$8.83 COP 32.1K

59.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 Ft 629

$2.24 COP 8,159

-9.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 Ft 628

$1.08 COP 3,911

87.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 Ft 652

$1.53 COP 5,563

37.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 Ft 1,120

$1.37 COP 4,987

162.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 Ft 379

$1.13 COP 4,109

7.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 Ft 385

$1.12 COP 4,067

10.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 Ft 553

$0.85 COP 3,080

109.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 Ft 182

$0.91 COP 3,305

-36.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.41 Ft 2,302

$2.33 COP 8,477

218.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.92 Ft 1,529

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-55.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Ft 380

$1.19 COP 4,342

2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 Ft 633

$2.37 COP 8,617

-13.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 Ft 361

$0.79 COP 2,859

46.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.24 Ft 7,846

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-38.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 Ft 1,008

$1.44 COP 5,223

125.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 Ft 331

$1.91 COP 6,952

-43.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.76 Ft 7,074

$8.02 COP 29.2K

183.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 Ft 451

$0.94 COP 3,410

54.26%

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

$27.2K Ft 8.5M

$17.9K COP 65.2M

52.05%

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

$31.3K Ft 9.7M

$26.8K COP 97.4M

16.66%

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

$165 Ft 51.4K

$84.0 COP 305.4K

97.00%

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

$27.51 Ft 8,551

$9.60 COP 34.9K

186.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.74 Ft 6,137

$24.16 COP 87.9K

-18.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 Ft 14.3K

$25.88 COP 94.1K

78.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.49 Ft 5,127

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-13.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.68 Ft 2,388

$3.92 COP 14.2K

95.92%

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

$401 Ft 124.8K

$306 COP 1.1M

31.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,125 Ft 2.2M

$5,919 COP 21.5M

20.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 Ft 28.2K

$57.9 COP 210.6K

56.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.20 Ft 13.7K

$31.82 COP 115.7K

38.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 Ft 28.7K

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-7.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 Ft 31.9K

$107 COP 389.7K

-4.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 Ft 139.4K

$487 COP 1.8M

-7.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 Ft 105.3K

$368 COP 1.3M

-8.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 Ft 200.0K

$826 COP 3.0M

-22.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 Ft 162.4K

$716 COP 2.6M

-27.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,999 Ft 932.2K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

2.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,142 Ft 665.9K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

52.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-40.43%

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

Last update for Dabas: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $448 in Dabas and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Dabas vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $190 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Dabas vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Dabas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,773 in Dabas 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: $448 in Dabas versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 63% less than in Dabas. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $401 in Dabas versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,182 in Dabas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Dabas. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,034 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Dabas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.