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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,216 in Cabarete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,850 in Cabarete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,484 in Cabarete.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than in Cabarete, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Cabarete is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$7.62 DOP 448

5.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$51.0 DOP 2,995

-6.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.61 DOP 388

49.62%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.00 DOP 118

56.50%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.09 DOP 64.0

75.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.64 DOP 37.44

135.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.60 DOP 153

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.47 DOP 204

65.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.46 DOP 85.6

-1.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.58 DOP 92.9

57.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.67 DOP 97.9

5.99%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.32 DOP 136

27.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.36 DOP 433

36.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.86 DOP 344

72.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$6.86 DOP 403

108.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.03 DOP 178

36.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.79 DOP 46.36

103.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.81 DOP 165

-19.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.84 DOP 108

22.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.04 DOP 120

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.30 DOP 135

-33.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.05 DOP 61.9

11.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.88 DOP 51.8

48.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.10 DOP 241

-4.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$10.59 DOP 622

32.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.60 DOP 153

-33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.58 DOP 151

11.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.98 DOP 57.9

24.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$3.33 DOP 195

-60.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.33 DOP 137

-6.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$6.04 DOP 355

44.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.21 DOP 71.0

13.22%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$23.3K DOP 1.4M

19.71%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$33.6K DOP 2.0M

6.42%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$93.9 DOP 5,515

88.90%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$31.97 DOP 1,879

-56.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$37.57 DOP 2,208

-20.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$25.15 DOP 1,478

78.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$7.84 DOP 461

-15.18%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$256 DOP 15.1K

217.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$7,507 DOP 441.1K

22.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$45.91 DOP 2,698

94.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$46.82 DOP 2,751

25.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$89.3 DOP 5,250

54.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$126 DOP 7,428

-19.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$706 DOP 41.5K

50.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$504 DOP 29.6K

31.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,208 DOP 71.0K

56.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$793 DOP 46.6K

29.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$302 DOP 17.7K

454.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

13.56

-19.32%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cabarete: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $706 in Cabarete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $51.0 in Cabarete. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $223, 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 38% 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 $2,521 in Medellin and $1,824 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $706 in Cabarete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $256 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 $51.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,216 in Cabarete versus $1,681 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 $1,216 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 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.