Cost of Living Comparison Between Dar'a and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Dar'a and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $205 in Dar'a versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $396 in Dar'a versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $587 in Dar'a versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Dar'a costs roughly 80% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dar'a 85% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 SYP 347

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-47.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.28 SYP 1,719

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-53.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.2K

Cappuccino

$1.01 SYP 114

$1.70 COP 6,186

-40.59%

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

$0.74 SYP 83.1

$1.10 COP 3,996

-32.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 SYP 55.0

$0.72 COP 2,625

-31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 SYP 57.4

$1.06 COP 3,837

-51.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.29 SYP 32.27

$1.25 COP 4,531

-76.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 SYP 139

$1.39 COP 5,060

-11.51%

Eggs

$1.16 SYP 131

$2.26 COP 8,229

-48.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.11 SYP 463

$4.33 COP 15.8K

-5.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 SYP 354

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-46.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.75 SYP 759

$8.83 COP 32.1K

-23.56%

Apples (1kg)

$0.31 SYP 35.17

$2.24 COP 8,159

-86.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 SYP 139

$1.08 COP 3,911

13.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.59 SYP 65.9

$1.53 COP 5,563

-61.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.31 SYP 35.03

$1.37 COP 4,987

-77.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 SYP 43.06

$1.13 COP 4,109

-66.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.24 SYP 26.87

$1.12 COP 4,067

-78.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 SYP 31.50

$0.85 COP 3,080

-67.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 SYP 54.2

$0.91 COP 3,305

-47.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 SYP 246

$2.33 COP 8,477

-6.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 SYP 30.66

$0.79 COP 2,859

-65.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,223

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 SYP 164

$1.91 COP 6,952

-23.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 SYP 456

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-49.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 SYP 196

$0.94 COP 3,410

85.11%

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

$17.9K COP 65.2M

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

$26.8K COP 97.4M

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

$84.0 COP 305.4K

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

$9.60 COP 34.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$3.43 SYP 386

$25.88 COP 94.1K

-86.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.83 SYP 656

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-69.38%

Cinema Ticket

$2.94 SYP 330

$3.92 COP 14.2K

-25.00%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.13 SYP 1,140

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-82.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.55 SYP 2,761

$31.82 COP 115.7K

-22.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 363.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$16.75 SYP 1,884

$107 COP 389.7K

-84.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$49.29 SYP 5,545

$487 COP 1.8M

-89.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$35.18 SYP 3,957

$368 COP 1.3M

-90.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$201 SYP 22.6K

$826 COP 3.0M

-75.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$124 SYP 13.9K

$716 COP 2.6M

-82.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

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

Last update for Dar'a: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $49.29 in Dar'a and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15.00 in Dar'a vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $87.0 vs $190 per month, with Dar'a 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

Dar'a vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dar'a wins on cost – living expenses run 405% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dar'a the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $307 in Dar'a 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: $49.29 in Dar'a versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $205 per month in Dar'a versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 405% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 117% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $205 in Dar'a versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dar'a but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dar'a the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dar'a delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $205 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dar'a hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Dar'a gentler on the wallet – expenses run 405% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.