Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dong Hoi

For one person, living is cheaper in Dong Hoi: $744 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Dong Hoi
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Dong Hoi Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Dong Hoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dong Hoi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Dong Hoi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $744 in Dong Hoi.

Medellin $1,692
Dong Hoi $744

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $1,191 in Dong Hoi.

Medellin $2,471
Dong Hoi $1,191

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $1,638 in Dong Hoi.

Medellin $3,249
Dong Hoi $1,638

Living in Medellin is roughly 127% more expensive than in Dong Hoi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Dong Hoi is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$1.95 ₫50.1K

327.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$19.02 ₫489.9K

144.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$3.48 ₫89.6K

172.13%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$1.08 ₫27.8K

189.81%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$0.34 ₫8,854

420.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$0.35 ₫9,124

305.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$0.57 ₫14.6K

452.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$2.29 ₫59.0K

148.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$1.56 ₫40.3K

-1.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$0.89 ₫23.0K

157.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$1.00 ₫25.8K

94.00%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$1.53 ₫39.4K

100.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$13.20 ₫340.0K

-24.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$3.33 ₫85.7K

213.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$9.67 ₫249.2K

44.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.68 ₫69.0K

51.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$1.16 ₫29.9K

31.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$1.34 ₫34.6K

56.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$1.52 ₫39.1K

50.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$1.15 ₫29.6K

83.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$1.27 ₫32.7K

34.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$1.01 ₫26.0K

15.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$0.53 ₫13.7K

198.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$1.53 ₫39.5K

155.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$7.71 ₫198.7K

82.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

$0.88 ₫22.6K

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

$2.19 ₫56.4K

23.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$0.34 ₫8,761

247.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$7.16 ₫184.5K

965.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

$1.02 ₫26.3K

77.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

$0.48 ₫12.3K

343.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$2.57 ₫66.2K

216.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$0.91 ₫23.6K

40.66%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$30.9K ₫796.7M

11.36%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$28.1K ₫724.7M

21.33%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$65.7 ₫1.7M

170.48%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$6.16 ₫158.7K

125.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$8.41 ₫216.6K

265.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$19.12 ₫492.5K

119.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$7.20 ₫185.5K

133.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$3.43 ₫88.5K

117.78%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$459 ₫11.8M

72.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$20.5K ₫529.3M

-40.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$45.86 ₫1.2M

88.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$28.34 ₫729.9K

109.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$101 ₫2.6M

37.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$84.1 ₫2.2M

17.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$435 ₫11.2M

207.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$266 ₫6.9M

150.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$746 ₫19.2M

164.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$566 ₫14.6M

82.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$2,183 ₫56.2M

87.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,164 ₫30.0M

66.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$398 ₫10.3M

62.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

56.29%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Dong Hoi: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Dong Hoi

$266 35.8% 60.1% $401

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Dong Hoi

$194 26.1% 36.9% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Dong Hoi

$80 10.8% 63.9% $142

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Dong Hoi

$49 6.6% 71.5% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Dong Hoi

$117 15.7% 32.3% $56

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Dong Hoi

$12 1.6% 87.2% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Dong Hoi

$26 3.5% 54.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $435 in Dong Hoi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 62% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $19 in Dong Hoi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $194 per month, with Dong Hoi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇳 Dong Hoi

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

06:42 6:42 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

91,601

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 29,000 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Dong Hoi 17,360 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dong Hoi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Dong Hoi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $744 in Dong Hoi, so Dong Hoi is about 56% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 62% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,341 in Medellin versus $435 in Dong Hoi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $744 in Dong Hoi – Dong Hoi is about 56% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Dong Hoi runs roughly 91% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $744 in Dong Hoi versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Dong Hoi but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dong Hoi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Dong Hoi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.