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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $206 in Dar'a.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $393 in Dar'a.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $581 in Dar'a.

Living in Medellin is roughly 400% more expensive than in 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

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$2.99 SYP 330

100.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$15.06 SYP 1,664

118.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$0.98 SYP 108

68.37%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$0.78 SYP 85.8

37.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.52 SYP 56.9

46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$0.49 SYP 54.0

114.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$0.29 SYP 31.78

351.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$1.22 SYP 135

9.84%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$1.23 SYP 136

78.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$4.06 SYP 449

8.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$3.17 SYP 350

79.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$6.64 SYP 734

28.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$0.31 SYP 34.76

654.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.22 SYP 135

-9.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$0.58 SYP 64.2

162.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$0.29 SYP 32.04

372.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$0.41 SYP 45.73

180.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$0.24 SYP 26.26

391.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$0.26 SYP 28.66

223.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$0.48 SYP 52.8

79.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$2.24 SYP 248

0.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$0.27 SYP 29.92

192.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$1.46 SYP 162

31.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$4.05 SYP 448

91.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$1.73 SYP 192

-41.62%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$3.44 SYP 380

655.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$6.09 SYP 673

207.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$2.97 SYP 328

37.71%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$9.94 SYP 1,099

500.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$24.78 SYP 2,738

29.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$16.94 SYP 1,872

520.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$50.8 SYP 5,608

856.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$34.73 SYP 3,838

951.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$201 SYP 22.2K

311.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$124 SYP 13.7K

490.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Dar'a: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $50.8 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 400% 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 $1,542 in Medellin and $309 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: $485 in Medellin versus $50.8 in Dar'a. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,028 per month in Medellin versus $206 in Dar'a – a 400% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 119% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $206 in Dar'a versus $1,028 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 $206 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 400% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.