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: $1,179 in Dabas versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,736 in Dabas versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,294 in Dabas versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Dabas is roughly 18% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dabas 11% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 Ft 2,773

$5.91 COP 18.6K

48.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.90 Ft 10.7K

$32.96 COP 103.8K

2.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 Ft 2,735

$7.43 COP 23.4K

16.82%

Cappuccino

$1.40 Ft 440

$1.65 COP 5,207

-15.15%

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

$1.15 Ft 361

$1.10 COP 3,468

4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 Ft 141

$0.78 COP 2,458

-42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 Ft 484

$1.72 COP 5,412

-10.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 Ft 458

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-54.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 Ft 337

$1.10 COP 3,474

-2.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 Ft 442

$1.26 COP 3,962

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 591

$1.38 COP 4,349

36.23%

Eggs

$2.44 Ft 769

$2.18 COP 6,858

11.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 Ft 2,958

$4.49 COP 14.1K

109.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.15 Ft 1,937

$5.79 COP 18.2K

6.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 Ft 4,547

$8.97 COP 28.2K

60.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 633

$2.32 COP 7,308

-13.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 Ft 655

$1.06 COP 3,352

96.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 Ft 692

$1.52 COP 4,774

44.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 Ft 1,120

$1.36 COP 4,270

161.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 Ft 384

$1.13 COP 3,552

7.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 Ft 388

$1.17 COP 3,689

5.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 Ft 559

$0.90 COP 2,838

96.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Ft 169

$0.90 COP 2,823

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.30 Ft 2,300

$2.23 COP 7,034

227.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.76 Ft 1,501

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-60.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Ft 386

$1.19 COP 3,743

2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 640

$2.48 COP 7,815

-18.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 Ft 356

$0.85 COP 2,687

32.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.17 Ft 7,930

$41.62 COP 131.0K

-39.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 Ft 990

$1.42 COP 4,459

121.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 Ft 335

$1.95 COP 6,141

-45.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.84 Ft 7,196

$7.89 COP 24.8K

189.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 Ft 441

$0.99 COP 3,118

41.41%

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

$27.3K Ft 8.6M

$17.6K COP 55.4M

54.83%

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

$31.9K Ft 10.0M

$26.8K COP 84.4M

18.87%

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

$164 Ft 51.5K

$83.0 COP 261.4K

97.08%

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

$27.10 Ft 8,539

$9.70 COP 30.5K

179.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.77 Ft 6,230

$23.52 COP 74.1K

-15.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.94 Ft 14.5K

$25.26 COP 79.5K

81.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.58 Ft 5,225

$19.10 COP 60.1K

-13.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.70 Ft 2,426

$3.95 COP 12.4K

94.94%

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

$405 Ft 127.5K

$316 COP 994.2K

28.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,264 Ft 2.3M

$5,975 COP 18.8M

21.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 Ft 29.1K

$60.0 COP 188.9K

54.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.93 Ft 14.2K

$31.82 COP 100.2K

41.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 Ft 29.3K

$102 COP 320.1K

-8.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 Ft 31.7K

$107 COP 338.3K

-6.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 Ft 138.2K

$475 COP 1.5M

-7.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 Ft 108.4K

$374 COP 1.2M

-8.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 Ft 201.2K

$849 COP 2.7M

-24.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 Ft 165.3K

$719 COP 2.3M

-27.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,519 Ft 1.1M

$3,265 COP 10.3M

7.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 Ft 750.8K

$1,441 COP 4.5M

65.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Dabas and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Dabas vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $193 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 18% 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 $1,768 in Dabas and $1,504 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: $439 in Dabas versus $475 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 $405 in Dabas versus $316 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,179 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 $1,003 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 18% less than in Dabas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.