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: $1,162 in Dabas versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,729 in Dabas versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,296 in Dabas versus $2,188 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 14% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.85 Ft 2,678

$5.95 COP 20.8K

48.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.15 Ft 10.6K

$33.33 COP 116.3K

5.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 Ft 2,676

$7.23 COP 25.2K

22.27%

Cappuccino

$1.47 Ft 445

$1.63 COP 5,687

-9.82%

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

$1.10 Ft 332

$1.09 COP 3,821

0.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 Ft 124

$0.73 COP 2,548

-43.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 Ft 469

$1.74 COP 6,065

-10.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 Ft 444

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-54.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 Ft 333

$1.05 COP 3,662

4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 Ft 441

$1.29 COP 4,515

13.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 Ft 571

$1.32 COP 4,617

43.18%

Eggs

$2.51 Ft 759

$2.27 COP 7,927

10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 Ft 2,840

$4.35 COP 15.2K

115.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 Ft 1,815

$5.88 COP 20.5K

2.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.38 Ft 4,350

$8.61 COP 30.0K

67.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 Ft 581

$2.25 COP 7,844

-14.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 608

$1.07 COP 3,733

87.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 Ft 666

$1.52 COP 5,322

44.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 Ft 1,097

$1.42 COP 4,964

155.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 Ft 382

$1.17 COP 4,084

7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 Ft 376

$1.17 COP 4,077

5.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 Ft 518

$0.89 COP 3,096

92.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Ft 163

$0.90 COP 3,146

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.07 Ft 2,138

$2.25 COP 7,837

214.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.78 Ft 1,445

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-56.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Ft 370

$1.14 COP 3,977

7.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 Ft 620

$2.38 COP 8,301

-13.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 Ft 354

$0.84 COP 2,916

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 Ft 7,704

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-39.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 Ft 967

$1.41 COP 4,912

126.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 Ft 325

$1.90 COP 6,634

-43.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.30 Ft 7,048

$7.75 COP 27.0K

200.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 Ft 448

$1.01 COP 3,509

46.53%

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

$27.2K Ft 8.2M

$17.6K COP 61.4M

54.93%

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

$31.0K Ft 9.4M

$26.5K COP 92.5M

17.13%

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

$166 Ft 50.3K

$83.7 COP 292.1K

98.57%

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

$27.94 Ft 8,454

$9.45 COP 33.0K

195.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.49 Ft 5,897

$24.11 COP 84.1K

-19.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.84 Ft 13.9K

$25.31 COP 88.3K

81.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.01 Ft 5,146

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-11.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.70 Ft 2,330

$4.10 COP 14.3K

87.80%

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

$398 Ft 120.3K

$312 COP 1.1M

27.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,300 Ft 2.2M

$5,993 COP 20.9M

21.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 Ft 28.0K

$58.0 COP 202.6K

59.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.81 Ft 13.6K

$32.56 COP 113.6K

37.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 Ft 28.6K

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-5.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 Ft 30.6K

$109 COP 378.8K

-6.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 Ft 135.2K

$482 COP 1.7M

-7.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$345 Ft 104.5K

$379 COP 1.3M

-9.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 Ft 190.6K

$837 COP 2.9M

-24.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 Ft 164.0K

$723 COP 2.5M

-25.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,287 Ft 994.4K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

15.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,519 Ft 762.1K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

105.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $447 in Dabas and $482 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 $232 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 $1,743 in Dabas 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: $447 in Dabas versus $482 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 65% less than in Dabas. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $398 in Dabas versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,162 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 $1,017 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.