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: $1,124 in Las Terrenas versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,657 in Las Terrenas versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,189 in Las Terrenas versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Las Terrenas is roughly 12% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Las Terrenas 16% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.61 DOP 384

$5.91 COP 18.6K

11.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.64 DOP 2,710

$32.96 COP 103.8K

41.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.33 DOP 426

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-1.35%

Cappuccino

$2.07 DOP 120

$1.65 COP 5,207

25.45%

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

$0.98 DOP 57.1

$1.10 COP 3,468

-10.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 DOP 46.06

$0.78 COP 2,458

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 DOP 150

$1.72 COP 5,412

50.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 DOP 295

$3.18 COP 10.0K

59.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 DOP 75.8

$1.10 COP 3,474

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 DOP 81.9

$1.26 COP 3,962

11.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 DOP 70.2

$1.38 COP 4,349

-12.32%

Eggs

$1.65 DOP 95.9

$2.18 COP 6,858

-24.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 DOP 417

$4.49 COP 14.1K

59.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 DOP 361

$5.79 COP 18.2K

7.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 DOP 638

$8.97 COP 28.2K

22.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 DOP 147

$2.32 COP 7,308

9.05%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 DOP 49.18

$1.06 COP 3,352

-19.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 DOP 67.2

$1.52 COP 4,774

-23.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 DOP 67.3

$1.36 COP 4,270

-14.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 DOP 67.3

$1.13 COP 3,552

2.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 DOP 137

$1.17 COP 3,689

101.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 DOP 48.02

$0.90 COP 2,838

-7.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 DOP 30.84

$0.90 COP 2,823

-41.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 DOP 297

$2.23 COP 7,034

129.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.36 DOP 1,009

$12.12 COP 38.2K

43.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 DOP 134

$1.19 COP 3,743

94.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 DOP 136

$2.48 COP 7,815

-5.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 DOP 97.2

$0.85 COP 2,687

96.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 DOP 200

$1.42 COP 4,459

141.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 DOP 129

$1.95 COP 6,141

13.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 DOP 342

$7.89 COP 24.8K

-25.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 DOP 75.8

$0.99 COP 3,118

31.31%

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

$26.9K DOP 1.6M

$17.6K COP 55.4M

52.56%

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

$31.3K DOP 1.8M

$26.8K COP 84.4M

16.95%

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

$75.7 DOP 4,397

$83.0 COP 261.4K

-8.84%

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

$22.67 DOP 1,317

$9.70 COP 30.5K

133.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.61 DOP 2,127

$23.52 COP 74.1K

55.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.07 DOP 1,224

$25.26 COP 79.5K

-16.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.64 DOP 967

$19.10 COP 60.1K

-12.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 DOP 386

$3.95 COP 12.4K

68.35%

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

$85.4 DOP 4,965

$316 COP 994.2K

-72.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,760 DOP 276.6K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

-20.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.13 DOP 2,448

$60.0 COP 188.9K

-29.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.78 DOP 2,428

$31.82 COP 100.2K

31.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 DOP 4,174

$102 COP 320.1K

-29.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 DOP 4,985

$107 COP 338.3K

-20.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 DOP 45.2K

$475 COP 1.5M

63.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 DOP 26.4K

$374 COP 1.2M

21.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 DOP 84.8K

$849 COP 2.7M

71.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 DOP 38.9K

$719 COP 2.3M

-6.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $777 in Las Terrenas and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Las Terrenas vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 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

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 12% 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 $1,686 in Las Terrenas 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: $777 in Las Terrenas versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $85.4 in Las Terrenas versus $316 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 $47.00 in Las Terrenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,124 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 $1,003 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 12% less than in Las Terrenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.