Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dar'a Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dar'a

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $205 in Dar'a.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $396 in Dar'a.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $587 in Dar'a.

Living in Medellin is roughly 405% more expensive than Dar'a, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Dar'a 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.09 SYP 350

91.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$15.28 SYP 1,734

114.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.01 SYP 115

68.32%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.74 SYP 83.9

48.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.49 SYP 55.5

46.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.51 SYP 57.9

107.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.29 SYP 32.55

331.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.23 SYP 140

13.01%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.16 SYP 132

94.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$4.11 SYP 467

5.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.15 SYP 357

85.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$6.75 SYP 765

30.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$0.31 SYP 35.48

622.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.23 SYP 140

-12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$0.59 SYP 66.5

159.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.31 SYP 35.33

341.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.38 SYP 43.43

197.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.24 SYP 27.10

366.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.28 SYP 31.78

203.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.48 SYP 54.7

89.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.18 SYP 248

6.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.27 SYP 30.92

192.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.46 SYP 165

30.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$4.06 SYP 460

97.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.74 SYP 197

-45.98%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$3.43 SYP 390

654.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$5.83 SYP 661

226.59%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$2.94 SYP 333

33.33%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$10.13 SYP 1,150

471.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$24.55 SYP 2,786

29.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$16.75 SYP 1,901

539.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$49.29 SYP 5,593

887.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$35.18 SYP 3,992

946.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$201 SYP 22.8K

311.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$124 SYP 14.1K

477.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Dar'a: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $49.29 in Dar'a. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $15.00 in Dar'a for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $87.0 per month, with Dar'a 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 Dar'a: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dar'a wins on cost – living expenses run 405% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dar'a the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $307 in Dar'a 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: $487 in Medellin versus $49.29 in Dar'a. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $205 in Dar'a – a 405% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 117% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $205 in Dar'a versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dar'a but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dar'a the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dar'a delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $205 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dar'a hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Dar'a gentler on the wallet – expenses run 405% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.