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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $202 in Dar'a.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $394 in Dar'a.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $587 in Dar'a.

Living in Medellin is roughly 397% more expensive than in Dar'a, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Dar'a 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$3.03 SYP 368

95.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$14.94 SYP 1,816

120.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$0.99 SYP 120

66.67%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.78 SYP 94.7

41.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.48 SYP 57.8

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$0.52 SYP 62.6

111.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.29 SYP 34.82

334.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.23 SYP 149

12.20%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.19 SYP 144

83.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$4.05 SYP 492

10.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$3.19 SYP 387

81.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$6.69 SYP 813

34.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$0.29 SYP 34.63

700.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.17 SYP 142

-9.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$0.63 SYP 76.4

141.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$0.29 SYP 34.79

368.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$0.38 SYP 46.40

197.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$0.26 SYP 31.76

350.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.28 SYP 34.42

221.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.48 SYP 58.9

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$2.21 SYP 269

0.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.25 SYP 30.24

240.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$1.54 SYP 187

26.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$3.98 SYP 484

98.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.72 SYP 209

-42.44%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$3.45 SYP 419

632.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$6.15 SYP 747

210.57%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$3.04 SYP 369

29.93%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$9.99 SYP 1,214

500.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$24.90 SYP 3,025

27.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$16.94 SYP 2,058

534.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$49.14 SYP 5,971

866.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$35.42 SYP 4,304

955.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$199 SYP 24.1K

327.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$126 SYP 15.3K

470.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Dar'a: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $49.14 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 $193 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 397% 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 $1,504 in Medellin and $302 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: $475 in Medellin versus $49.14 in Dar'a. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,003 per month in Medellin versus $202 in Dar'a – a 397% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 123% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $202 in Dar'a versus $1,003 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 $202 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 397% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.