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: $1,166 in Las Terrenas versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,488 in Las Terrenas versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,810 in Las Terrenas versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Las Terrenas costs roughly 31% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Las Terrenas is 15% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.54 DOP 503

$8.02 COP 25.3K

6.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.99 DOP 2,475

$47.87 COP 151.0K

-12.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 DOP 422

$9.89 COP 31.2K

-27.60%

Cappuccino

$1.89 DOP 111

$3.13 COP 9,873

-39.62%

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

$0.74 DOP 43.57

$1.91 COP 6,019

-61.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 DOP 24.18

$1.51 COP 4,763

-72.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 DOP 148

$3.12 COP 9,853

-19.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 DOP 236

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-30.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 DOP 72.5

$1.44 COP 4,558

-14.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 DOP 104

$2.49 COP 7,843

-29.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 DOP 89.8

$1.77 COP 5,595

-14.12%

Eggs

$1.49 DOP 87.7

$2.96 COP 9,336

-49.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 DOP 372

$10.07 COP 31.8K

-37.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 DOP 220

$10.12 COP 31.9K

-63.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.81 DOP 283

$14.30 COP 45.1K

-66.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 DOP 218

$4.14 COP 13.0K

-10.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 DOP 84.3

$1.61 COP 5,073

-11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 DOP 194

$2.25 COP 7,083

46.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 DOP 131

$2.25 COP 7,104

-1.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 DOP 208

$2.04 COP 6,444

73.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 DOP 181

$1.54 COP 4,842

99.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 DOP 56.5

$1.17 COP 3,691

-17.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 DOP 97.1

$1.31 COP 4,121

25.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.77 DOP 281

$3.90 COP 12.3K

22.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.62 DOP 980

$14.01 COP 44.2K

18.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 DOP 176

$1.74 COP 5,498

71.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 DOP 204

$2.87 COP 9,053

20.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 DOP 153

$1.31 COP 4,129

98.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 DOP 202

$2.19 COP 6,899

56.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 DOP 78.5

$1.37 COP 4,306

-2.92%

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

$15.5K DOP 910.7K

$27.8K COP 87.8M

-44.48%

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

$25.5K DOP 1.5M

$35.8K COP 112.8M

-28.64%

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

$95.5 DOP 5,627

$177 COP 559.3K

-46.15%

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

$27.82 DOP 1,639

$13.88 COP 43.8K

100.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.34 DOP 2,318

$29.72 COP 93.8K

32.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 DOP 292

$6.65 COP 21.0K

-25.56%

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

$153 DOP 9,038

$813 COP 2.6M

-81.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,479 DOP 322.9K

$9,187 COP 29.0M

-40.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.48 DOP 1,620

$89.5 COP 282.3K

-69.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.19 DOP 2,722

$59.0 COP 186.0K

-21.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.3 DOP 3,731

$138 COP 435.9K

-54.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.6 DOP 4,042

$102 COP 322.1K

-32.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 DOP 59.2K

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-5.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 DOP 30.0K

$663 COP 2.1M

-23.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 DOP 121.5K

$1,888 COP 6.0M

9.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 DOP 140.4K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

132.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

0.55%

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

Last update for Las Terrenas: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,004 in Las Terrenas and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Las Terrenas vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $305 per month, with Las Terrenas 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

Las Terrenas wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Las Terrenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,748 in Las Terrenas and $2,521 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: $1,004 in Las Terrenas versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $153 in Las Terrenas versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Las Terrenas – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,166 in Las Terrenas versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Las Terrenas but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Las Terrenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Las Terrenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,166 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Las Terrenas hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Las Terrenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.