Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Terrenas and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Terrenas: $872 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Las Terrenas
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Las Terrenas Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Las Terrenas

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$872

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Las Terrenas and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Las Terrenas and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $872 in Las Terrenas versus $1,692 in Medellin.

Las Terrenas $872
Medellin $1,692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,839 in Las Terrenas versus $2,471 in Medellin.

Las Terrenas $1,839
Medellin $2,471

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,805 in Las Terrenas versus $3,249 in Medellin.

Las Terrenas $2,805
Medellin $3,249

Living in Las Terrenas costs roughly 48% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Las Terrenas is 35% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.51 DOP 511

$8.34 COP 26.9K

2.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.42 DOP 2,488

$46.53 COP 150.2K

-10.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 DOP 295

$9.47 COP 30.6K

-48.15%

Cappuccino

$0.98 DOP 59.0

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-68.69%

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

$0.67 DOP 40.51

$1.77 COP 5,702

-62.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 DOP 24.16

$1.42 COP 4,599

-71.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 DOP 146

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-22.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 DOP 243

$5.70 COP 18.4K

-29.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 DOP 61.4

$1.53 COP 4,948

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 DOP 64.8

$2.29 COP 7,397

-52.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 DOP 67.1

$1.94 COP 6,279

-42.27%

Eggs

$1.23 DOP 73.8

$3.07 COP 9,900

-59.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.44 DOP 387

$9.99 COP 32.3K

-35.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 DOP 214

$10.45 COP 33.7K

-65.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.64 DOP 279

$13.96 COP 45.1K

-66.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 DOP 129

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-47.16%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 DOP 38.27

$1.53 COP 4,934

-58.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 DOP 133

$2.10 COP 6,794

5.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 DOP 131

$2.29 COP 7,405

-4.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 DOP 128

$2.11 COP 6,810

1.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 DOP 67.7

$1.71 COP 5,518

-33.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 DOP 55.4

$1.17 COP 3,778

-21.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 DOP 61.2

$1.58 COP 5,101

-35.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 DOP 281

$3.91 COP 12.6K

19.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.91 DOP 415

$14.04 COP 45.3K

-50.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 DOP 139

$1.76 COP 5,688

31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 DOP 118

$2.71 COP 8,756

-27.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,809

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 DOP 152

$1.81 COP 5,833

39.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.37 DOP 202

$2.13 COP 6,874

58.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 DOP 70.5

$1.28 COP 4,117

-8.59%

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

$19.8K DOP 1.2M

$34.4K COP 111.2M

-42.49%

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

$23.6K DOP 1.4M

$34.1K COP 110.2M

-30.76%

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

$50.0 DOP 3,005

$178 COP 573.8K

-71.84%

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

$9.97 DOP 599

$13.89 COP 44.8K

-28.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.68 DOP 1,182

$30.74 COP 99.2K

-35.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.90 DOP 294

$7.47 COP 24.1K

-34.40%

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

$100 DOP 6,017

$790 COP 2.6M

-87.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,396 DOP 324.1K

$12.3K COP 39.7M

-56.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.31 DOP 1,640

$86.3 COP 278.7K

-68.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.60 DOP 2,679

$59.3 COP 191.3K

-24.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.9 DOP 3,656

$138 COP 446.6K

-55.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.1 DOP 3,910

$98.8 COP 319.0K

-34.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 DOP 47.3K

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-41.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 DOP 23.1K

$667 COP 2.2M

-42.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 DOP 100.8K

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-15.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,632 DOP 98.0K

$1,033 COP 3.3M

57.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,809 DOP 108.6K

$4,098 COP 13.2M

-55.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$405 DOP 24.3K

$646 COP 2.1M

-37.39%

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: October 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Las Terrenas

$385 44.2%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 73.1% $282

Groceries & Markets

Las Terrenas

$170 19.5%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 81.2% $138

Eating Out

Las Terrenas

$119 13.7%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 44.8% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Las Terrenas

$89 10.2%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 93.4% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Las Terrenas

$80 9.1%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 179% $143

Getting Around

Las Terrenas

$19 * 2.2%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 382% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Las Terrenas

$9.8 * 1.1%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 481% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Las Terrenas and $1,341 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 60% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $41 in Las Terrenas vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $307 per month, with Las Terrenas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇴 Las Terrenas

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

14:48 2:48 PM

13:48 1:48 PM

1 h behind Las Terrenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,713

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Dominican Peso DOP $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 DOP = 1.67 USD

100 DOP = 1.49 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to DOP – Dominican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇴 Dominican Peso ($)

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 60.06 DOP (100 DOP = 1.67 USD). 1 EUR = 67.24 DOP (100 DOP = 1.49 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to DOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Las Terrenas Medellin 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Las Terrenas
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 48% 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.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Las Terrenas. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Las Terrenas versus $1,341 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $100 in Las Terrenas versus $790 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 $41 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Las Terrenas is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Las Terrenas delivers better value at $872 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Las Terrenas hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – Las Terrenas wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.