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: $1,097 in Las Terrenas versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,645 in Las Terrenas versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,194 in Las Terrenas versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Las Terrenas is roughly 6% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Las Terrenas 18% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 DOP 392

$5.92 COP 21.4K

12.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.74 DOP 2,821

$32.75 COP 118.2K

45.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 DOP 427

$7.20 COP 26.0K

0.42%

Cappuccino

$2.05 DOP 121

$1.70 COP 6,140

20.59%

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

$1.03 DOP 61.0

$1.10 COP 3,966

-6.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 DOP 46.39

$0.72 COP 2,605

9.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 DOP 153

$1.67 COP 6,022

54.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 DOP 297

$3.10 COP 11.2K

62.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 DOP 76.4

$1.06 COP 3,809

21.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 DOP 86.2

$1.25 COP 4,497

16.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 DOP 72.3

$1.39 COP 5,022

-12.23%

Eggs

$1.65 DOP 97.5

$2.26 COP 8,168

-26.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.07 DOP 418

$4.33 COP 15.6K

63.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.42 DOP 380

$5.84 COP 21.1K

9.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.82 DOP 639

$8.83 COP 31.9K

22.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 DOP 147

$2.24 COP 8,099

10.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 DOP 54.1

$1.08 COP 3,882

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 DOP 72.0

$1.53 COP 5,522

-20.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 DOP 72.3

$1.37 COP 4,950

-10.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 DOP 71.1

$1.13 COP 4,078

6.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 DOP 140

$1.12 COP 4,036

110.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 DOP 48.73

$0.85 COP 3,057

-3.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 DOP 28.74

$0.91 COP 3,281

-46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 DOP 295

$2.33 COP 8,414

114.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 DOP 694

$11.13 COP 40.2K

5.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 DOP 136

$1.19 COP 4,309

94.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 DOP 142

$2.37 COP 8,553

1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 DOP 102

$0.79 COP 2,838

117.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 DOP 202

$1.44 COP 5,184

138.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 DOP 124

$1.91 COP 6,901

10.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.01 DOP 355

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-25.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 DOP 74.1

$0.94 COP 3,385

32.98%

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

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

$17.9K COP 64.7M

46.08%

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

$31.2K DOP 1.8M

$26.8K COP 96.7M

16.59%

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

$75.8 DOP 4,477

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-9.75%

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

$23.02 DOP 1,360

$9.60 COP 34.7K

139.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.41 DOP 2,092

$24.16 COP 87.2K

46.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.17 DOP 1,251

$25.88 COP 93.4K

-18.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 DOP 1,019

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-9.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.89 DOP 407

$3.92 COP 14.1K

75.77%

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

$85.9 DOP 5,078

$306 COP 1.1M

-71.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,721 DOP 279.0K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

-20.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.34 DOP 2,561

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-25.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.67 DOP 2,463

$31.82 COP 114.9K

30.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 DOP 4,224

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-28.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 DOP 4,945

$107 COP 386.8K

-21.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 DOP 45.0K

$487 COP 1.8M

56.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 DOP 27.2K

$368 COP 1.3M

24.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 DOP 84.5K

$826 COP 3.0M

73.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 DOP 40.5K

$716 COP 2.6M

-4.40%

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 %)

12.9

13.43

-3.95%

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

Last update for Las Terrenas: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $762 in Las Terrenas and $487 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 $211 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 6% 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 $1,645 in Las Terrenas 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: $762 in Las Terrenas versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $85.9 in Las Terrenas versus $306 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 $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,097 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 $1,034 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 6% less than in Las Terrenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.