Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dabas Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dabas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,362 in Dabas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,041 in Dabas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,719 in Dabas.

Living in Medellin is roughly 23% more expensive than in Dabas, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Dabas 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$12.89 Ft 4,072

-37.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$37.85 Ft 12.0K

26.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$9.26 Ft 2,925

6.80%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$1.53 Ft 484

104.58%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.41 Ft 445

35.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.45 Ft 143

235.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$1.82 Ft 576

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$1.59 Ft 503

261.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.24 Ft 392

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.60 Ft 507

55.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$2.50 Ft 791

-29.20%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$3.47 Ft 1,096

-14.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$10.71 Ft 3,383

-5.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$7.04 Ft 2,225

43.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$16.43 Ft 5,190

-12.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.46 Ft 777

68.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.39 Ft 755

-32.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.61 Ft 825

-13.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$4.01 Ft 1,267

-43.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.17 Ft 370

74.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.45 Ft 459

6.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.91 Ft 604

-38.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.55 Ft 174

138.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$8.05 Ft 2,544

-51.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$4.72 Ft 1,492

196.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.39 Ft 441

25.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.66 Ft 842

7.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.32 Ft 416

-7.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$28.57 Ft 9,027

181.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.58 Ft 1,131

-63.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.38 Ft 435

58.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$25.13 Ft 7,939

-65.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.53 Ft 485

-10.46%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$31.2K Ft 9.9M

-10.81%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$37.3K Ft 11.8M

-4.13%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$178 Ft 56.3K

-0.44%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$21.30 Ft 6,729

-34.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$21.74 Ft 6,867

36.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$43.32 Ft 13.7K

3.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$18.86 Ft 5,960

-9.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$9.31 Ft 2,940

-28.57%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$448 Ft 141.5K

81.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$7,949 Ft 2.5M

15.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$104 Ft 32.8K

-13.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$52.2 Ft 16.5K

12.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$101 Ft 31.8K

37.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$114 Ft 35.9K

-10.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$516 Ft 162.9K

105.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$429 Ft 135.4K

54.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$772 Ft 244.0K

144.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$669 Ft 211.4K

53.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$3,109 Ft 982.4K

34.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$2,423 Ft 765.7K

-30.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

36.75%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Dabas: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $516 in Dabas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Dabas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $269 per month, with Dabas 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 Dabas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dabas wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dabas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $2,043 in Dabas 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 $516 in Dabas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dabas runs roughly 182% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $448 in Dabas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,362 in Dabas versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dabas but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dabas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dabas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,362 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dabas hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Dabas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.