Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Terrenas and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Terrenas and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,106 in Las Terrenas versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,653 in Las Terrenas versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Las Terrenas versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Las Terrenas is roughly 9% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Las Terrenas 18% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.72 DOP 394

$5.95 COP 20.8K

12.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 DOP 2,811

$33.33 COP 116.3K

43.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.22 DOP 423

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-0.14%

Cappuccino

$2.04 DOP 120

$1.63 COP 5,687

25.15%

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

$1.00 DOP 58.5

$1.09 COP 3,821

-8.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 DOP 49.34

$0.73 COP 2,548

15.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 DOP 147

$1.74 COP 6,065

43.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 DOP 290

$3.23 COP 11.3K

53.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 DOP 72.3

$1.05 COP 3,662

17.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 DOP 81.3

$1.29 COP 4,515

7.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 DOP 68.8

$1.32 COP 4,617

-11.36%

Eggs

$1.65 DOP 96.7

$2.27 COP 7,927

-27.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.95 DOP 407

$4.35 COP 15.2K

59.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 DOP 378

$5.88 COP 20.5K

9.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 DOP 635

$8.61 COP 30.0K

25.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 DOP 146

$2.25 COP 7,844

11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 DOP 49.83

$1.07 COP 3,733

-20.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 DOP 68.2

$1.52 COP 5,322

-23.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 DOP 68.4

$1.42 COP 4,964

-17.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 DOP 70.6

$1.17 COP 4,084

3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 DOP 138

$1.17 COP 4,077

100.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 DOP 51.0

$0.89 COP 3,096

-2.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 DOP 28.38

$0.90 COP 3,146

-46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.97 DOP 291

$2.25 COP 7,837

120.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.02 DOP 997

$11.04 COP 38.5K

54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 DOP 141

$1.14 COP 3,977

111.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 DOP 138

$2.38 COP 8,301

-0.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 DOP 100

$0.84 COP 2,916

103.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 DOP 197

$1.41 COP 4,912

139.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 DOP 130

$1.90 COP 6,634

16.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 DOP 350

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-22.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 DOP 76.5

$1.01 COP 3,509

29.70%

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

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

$17.6K COP 61.4M

49.12%

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

$31.1K DOP 1.8M

$26.5K COP 92.5M

17.45%

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

$75.0 DOP 4,392

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-10.41%

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

$23.36 DOP 1,368

$9.45 COP 33.0K

147.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.70 DOP 2,091

$24.11 COP 84.1K

48.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.37 DOP 1,252

$25.31 COP 88.3K

-15.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 DOP 1,011

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-9.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 DOP 389

$4.10 COP 14.3K

61.95%

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

$85.6 DOP 5,015

$312 COP 1.1M

-72.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,650 DOP 272.4K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-22.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.39 DOP 2,483

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-26.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.95 DOP 2,516

$32.56 COP 113.6K

31.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 DOP 4,196

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-28.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 DOP 5,028

$109 COP 378.8K

-20.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 DOP 44.9K

$482 COP 1.7M

59.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 DOP 26.4K

$379 COP 1.3M

18.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 DOP 86.1K

$837 COP 2.9M

75.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 DOP 39.0K

$723 COP 2.5M

-7.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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 Las Terrenas: June 9, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $767 in Las Terrenas and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Las Terrenas vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 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

Las Terrenas vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Las Terrenas. 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 $1,659 in Las Terrenas 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: $767 in Las Terrenas versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $85.6 in Las Terrenas versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $48.00 in Las Terrenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,106 in Las Terrenas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Las Terrenas. 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 9% less than in Las Terrenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.