Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cabarete Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cabarete

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $875 in Cabarete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,324 in Cabarete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,773 in Cabarete.

Living in Medellin is roughly 15% more expensive than in Cabarete, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Cabarete 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$6.54 DOP 380

-9.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$36.31 DOP 2,110

-9.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$6.06 DOP 352

22.61%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$2.19 DOP 127

-24.66%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$1.02 DOP 59.4

7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.84 DOP 49.02

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$2.62 DOP 152

-34.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$3.65 DOP 212

-12.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$0.99 DOP 57.3

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.35 DOP 78.5

-6.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.51 DOP 87.8

-8.61%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.59 DOP 92.2

37.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$7.22 DOP 420

-37.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$4.72 DOP 274

22.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$5.78 DOP 336

55.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$0.96 DOP 55.9

141.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$0.86 DOP 49.79

23.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.92 DOP 112

-20.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.29 DOP 74.9

5.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.12 DOP 65.2

0.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$1.75 DOP 101

-33.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$1.06 DOP 61.4

-15.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.87 DOP 50.4

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$3.48 DOP 202

-35.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$10.82 DOP 629

12.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$2.25 DOP 131

-47.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.74 DOP 159

-9.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.66 DOP 38.48

28.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$3.30 DOP 192

-56.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$2.12 DOP 123

-8.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$5.83 DOP 339

35.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.29 DOP 74.8

-23.26%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$26.7K DOP 1.6M

-34.06%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$32.0K DOP 1.9M

-16.29%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$50.1 DOP 2,910

65.75%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$25.72 DOP 1,494

-62.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$17.26 DOP 1,003

36.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$43.26 DOP 2,514

-41.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$6.61 DOP 384

-40.24%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$265 DOP 15.4K

18.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$8,000 DOP 464.9K

-25.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$58.9 DOP 3,421

1.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$50.8 DOP 2,952

-37.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$97.8 DOP 5,681

3.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$116 DOP 6,715

-7.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$872 DOP 50.7K

-45.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$257 DOP 14.9K

45.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$603 DOP 35.0K

40.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$379 DOP 22.0K

90.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$313 DOP 18.2K

360.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

12.9

4.11%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cabarete: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $872 in Cabarete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Cabarete. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $182, with Cabarete cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cabarete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabarete wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cabarete the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,504 in Medellin and $1,313 in Cabarete 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: $475 in Medellin versus $872 in Cabarete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $265 in Cabarete. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cabarete – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $875 in Cabarete versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cabarete but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cabarete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cabarete delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $875 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cabarete hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Cabarete 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 Cabarete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.