Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bajos de Haina Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bajos de Haina

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $620 in Bajos de Haina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $991 in Bajos de Haina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,362 in Bajos de Haina.

Living in Medellin is roughly 165% more expensive than in Bajos de Haina, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Bajos de Haina is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$8.46 DOP 499

-4.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$43.09 DOP 2,540

12.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.27 DOP 429

29.57%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.80 DOP 106

63.33%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.73 DOP 43.24

154.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.42 DOP 24.72

247.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.59 DOP 152

23.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.61 DOP 213

58.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.21 DOP 71.2

19.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.50 DOP 88.7

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.54 DOP 90.9

10.39%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.48 DOP 87.5

95.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$6.38 DOP 376

57.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.62 DOP 214

175.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$4.74 DOP 280

199.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.29 DOP 194

20.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.80 DOP 47.01

97.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.80 DOP 165

-23.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.83 DOP 108

25.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.04 DOP 120

-1.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.21 DOP 130

-31.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.91 DOP 53.7

31.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.98 DOP 57.9

30.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.78 DOP 282

-19.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$10.77 DOP 635

30.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.62 DOP 154

-34.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.96 DOP 174

-7.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.58 DOP 152

-49.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$2.32 DOP 137

-6.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$5.85 DOP 345

41.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.41 DOP 83.0

-3.55%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$15.6K DOP 916.9K

76.65%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$25.4K DOP 1.5M

43.98%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$95.4 DOP 5,625

76.84%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$28.06 DOP 1,654

-51.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$37.10 DOP 2,187

-23.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$5.01 DOP 295

32.73%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$153 DOP 8,993

426.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$5,540 DOP 326.6K

65.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$27.32 DOP 1,611

219.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$46.19 DOP 2,723

28.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$64.8 DOP 3,822

114.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$67.6 DOP 3,985

50.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bajos de Haina: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $43.00 in Bajos de Haina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $199 per month, with Bajos de Haina 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

Medellin vs Bajos de Haina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Bajos de Haina differ by about 165% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $620 including rent). Bajos de Haina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $930 in Bajos de Haina 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 51% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $620 in Bajos de Haina – a 165% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $620 in Bajos de Haina versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bajos de Haina but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bajos de Haina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bajos de Haina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 165% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.