Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Azua

For one person, living is cheaper in Azua: $660 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Azua
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Azua Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Azua

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$660

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Azua

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $660 in Azua.

Medellin $1,589
Azua $660

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $1,060 in Azua.

Medellin $2,364
Azua $1,060

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $1,460 in Azua.

Medellin $3,139
Azua $1,460

Living in Medellin is roughly 141% more expensive than in Azua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Azua is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$8.61 DOP 524

-6.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$41.37 DOP 2,518

12.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$7.15 DOP 435

31.89%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$1.36 DOP 82.5

113.97%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$0.68 DOP 41.59

157.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$0.39 DOP 23.53

238.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$2.57 DOP 157

21.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$4.14 DOP 252

34.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$1.20 DOP 73.0

17.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$1.83 DOP 111

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$1.05 DOP 63.8

55.24%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$1.47 DOP 89.3

91.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$6.55 DOP 399

47.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$3.69 DOP 224

152.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$4.83 DOP 294

178.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$3.74 DOP 228

6.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.42 DOP 86.2

4.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$3.23 DOP 197

-34.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$2.27 DOP 138

-0.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$3.68 DOP 224

-48.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$2.93 DOP 178

-44.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$0.96 DOP 58.6

19.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$1.63 DOP 98.9

-22.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$4.75 DOP 289

-19.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$17.12 DOP 1,042

-23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$2.92 DOP 178

-45.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$3.37 DOP 205

-32.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$2.49 DOP 151

-49.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$3.27 DOP 199

-37.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.37 DOP 83.7

-7.30%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$15.0K DOP 915.2K

78.08%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$25.7K DOP 1.6M

33.62%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$94.7 DOP 5,767

71.22%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$27.44 DOP 1,670

-52.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$39.28 DOP 2,391

-28.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$20.21 DOP 1,230

119.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$5.07 DOP 309

20.12%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$152 DOP 9,263

402.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$5,570 DOP 339.0K

59.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$26.60 DOP 1,619

219.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$45.31 DOP 2,758

26.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$62.8 DOP 3,824

109.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$66.8 DOP 4,063

43.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$3,576 DOP 217.7K

9.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

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 Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Azua: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Azua

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Azua

$240 35.7% 16.7% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Azua

$161 24% 20.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Azua

$91 13.5% 45.5% $76

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Azua

$132 19.6% 20.6% $34

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Azua

$19 * 2.8% 79.4% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Azua

$30 4.5% 46.3% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $41.00 in Azua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $240 per month, with Azua cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇩🇴 Azua

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

07:25 7:25 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

128,264

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

100 DOP = 1.64 USD

100 DOP = 1.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 60.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.64 USD). 1 EUR = 68.21 DOP (100 DOP = 1.47 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Azua 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Azua

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

Medellin vs Azua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Azua is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,384 in Medellin and $990 in Azua 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Medellin versus $660 in Azua – a 141% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $660 in Azua versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Azua but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Azua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Azua is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Azua are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Azua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.