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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $857 in Cabarete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,336 in Cabarete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,815 in Cabarete.

Living in Medellin is roughly 19% more expensive than Cabarete, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Cabarete 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$6.39 DOP 374

-6.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$35.22 DOP 2,063

-5.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$6.33 DOP 371

14.22%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.20 DOP 129

-25.91%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.98 DOP 57.4

11.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.85 DOP 49.81

-14.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.60 DOP 152

-33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$3.69 DOP 216

-12.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.93 DOP 54.5

12.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.41 DOP 82.3

-8.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.47 DOP 86.3

-10.20%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.64 DOP 96.3

38.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$7.22 DOP 423

-39.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.84 DOP 283

21.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$5.49 DOP 321

56.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$0.90 DOP 52.7

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.86 DOP 50.4

24.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.91 DOP 112

-20.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.33 DOP 77.9

6.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.06 DOP 62.0

10.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.75 DOP 102

-33.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.11 DOP 65.0

-19.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.93 DOP 54.4

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$3.35 DOP 197

-32.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$10.68 DOP 626

3.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$2.37 DOP 139

-51.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.69 DOP 157

-11.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.69 DOP 40.53

21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$3.42 DOP 200

-58.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$2.14 DOP 125

-11.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$5.99 DOP 351

29.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.25 DOP 73.1

-19.20%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$26.5K DOP 1.6M

-33.67%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$31.8K DOP 1.9M

-16.79%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$50.5 DOP 2,957

65.80%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$24.98 DOP 1,463

-62.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$16.73 DOP 980

44.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$43.57 DOP 2,552

-41.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.70 DOP 393

-38.81%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$264 DOP 15.4K

18.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$8,042 DOP 471.1K

-25.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$59.5 DOP 3,484

-2.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$51.2 DOP 3,001

-36.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$94.9 DOP 5,562

4.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$116 DOP 6,823

-6.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$875 DOP 51.2K

-44.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$255 DOP 14.9K

48.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$601 DOP 35.2K

39.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$372 DOP 21.8K

94.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$305 DOP 17.9K

301.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cabarete: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $875 in Cabarete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Cabarete. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $183, 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 19% 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 $1,525 in Medellin and $1,286 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: $482 in Medellin versus $875 in Cabarete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $264 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 $35.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $857 in Cabarete versus $1,017 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 $857 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 19% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.