Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Boca Chica

For one person, living is cheaper in Boca Chica: $1,087 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Boca Chica
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Boca Chica Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Boca Chica

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$1,087

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Boca Chica

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 Boca Chica actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,087 in Boca Chica, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Boca Chica $1,087

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,277 in Boca Chica, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Boca Chica $1,277

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,466 in Boca Chica, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Boca Chica $1,466

Medellin costs about 56% more than Boca Chica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Boca Chica is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$8.31 DOP 499

0.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.2K

$40.83 DOP 2,453

13.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$7.05 DOP 423

34.33%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$1.74 DOP 105

79.89%

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

$1.77 COP 5,702

$0.66 DOP 39.85

168.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,599

$0.38 DOP 22.56

273.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$2.46 DOP 148

28.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$3.91 DOP 235

45.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,948

$1.20 DOP 72.3

27.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.74 DOP 105

31.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,279

$1.51 DOP 90.5

28.48%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,900

$1.44 DOP 86.7

113.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$6.13 DOP 368

62.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$3.59 DOP 216

191.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$4.80 DOP 288

190.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$3.81 DOP 229

6.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,934

$1.43 DOP 85.8

6.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,794

$3.22 DOP 193

-34.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,405

$2.16 DOP 130

6.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,810

$3.60 DOP 216

-41.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,518

$2.87 DOP 172

-40.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,778

$0.93 DOP 56.0

25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,101

$1.64 DOP 98.5

-3.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$4.91 DOP 295

-20.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$8.40 DOP 504

67.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,688

$3.02 DOP 182

-41.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,756

$3.40 DOP 204

-20.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,809

$1.63 DOP 98.1

-27.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,833

$2.51 DOP 151

-27.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,874

$3.29 DOP 197

-35.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,117

$1.39 DOP 83.5

-7.91%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$14.6K DOP 876.9K

135.88%

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

$25.6K DOP 1.5M

33.41%

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

$178 COP 573.8K

$95.1 DOP 5,710

86.93%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$15.00 DOP 901

-7.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.2K

$16.86 DOP 1,013

82.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$41.83 DOP 2,512

0.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$5.03 DOP 302

48.51%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$146 DOP 8,796

439.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$5,356 DOP 321.7K

129.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.7K

$26.69 DOP 1,603

223.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.3K

$45.57 DOP 2,737

30.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.6K

$61.0 DOP 3,663

126.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.0K

$64.9 DOP 3,899

52.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$439 DOP 26.4K

51.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 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 Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Boca Chica: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Boca Chica

$439 40.4% 34.2% $228

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Boca Chica

$222 20.4% 27.8% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Boca Chica

$127 11.7% 42.9% $95

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Boca Chica

$133 12.2% 23.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Boca Chica

$89 8.2% 48.2% $83

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Boca Chica

$25 * 2.3% 72.7% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Boca Chica

$52 4.8% 8.8% $5

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $41 in Boca Chica. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $222 – making Boca Chica the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇩🇴 Boca Chica

🕒 Local time

11:39 11:39 AM

12:39 12:39 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

46,300

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 DOP = 1.67 USD

100 DOP = 1.49 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 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).

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).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Boca Chica 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Boca Chica

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 Boca Chica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 56% more than Boca Chica, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,631 in Boca Chica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $1,087 in Boca Chica. That makes Boca Chica about 36% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $146 in Boca Chica. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,692 in Medellin and $1,087 in Boca Chica. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,087 in Boca Chica to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.