Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dong Xoai

For one person, living is cheaper in Dong Xoai: $770 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Dong Xoai
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Dong Xoai Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Dong Xoai

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$770

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Xoai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $770 in Dong Xoai, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Dong Xoai $770

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,234 in Dong Xoai, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Dong Xoai $1,234

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,697 in Dong Xoai, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Dong Xoai $1,697

Medellin costs about 110% more than Dong Xoai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Dong Xoai is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$2.00 ₫51.9K

296.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$19.30 ₫499.6K

139.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.39 ₫113.6K

116.40%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$1.65 ₫42.6K

88.48%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.55 ₫14.1K

232.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.31 ₫7,988

345.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$0.82 ₫21.3K

271.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$1.42 ₫36.7K

287.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.49 ₫38.6K

-2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.06 ₫27.3K

122.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.93 ₫24.0K

80.65%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.53 ₫39.5K

86.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$11.35 ₫293.7K

-10.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$3.80 ₫98.3K

150.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$9.82 ₫254.1K

42.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.92 ₫75.7K

39.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.09 ₫28.1K

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.31 ₫33.9K

65.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.27 ₫32.8K

81.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.06 ₫27.6K

82.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.16 ₫29.9K

41.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.60 ₫15.5K

88.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.51 ₫13.2K

145.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$1.44 ₫37.2K

177.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$11.76 ₫304.5K

13.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$0.82 ₫21.3K

107.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.65 ₫42.8K

43.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.34 ₫8,890

255.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$6.59 ₫170.6K

1060.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$0.77 ₫19.9K

71.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.61 ₫15.7K

250.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$2.44 ₫63.2K

247.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.89 ₫23.0K

46.07%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$30.6K ₫792.5M

-8.57%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$29.9K ₫774.6M

18.36%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$77.6 ₫2.0M

121.79%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$5.89 ₫152.4K

126.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$8.65 ₫224.0K

232.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$22.14 ₫573.1K

104.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$7.88 ₫204.1K

116.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$3.17 ₫82.0K

98.11%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$160 ₫4.1M

382.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$12.4K ₫322.1M

-27.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$44.64 ₫1.2M

93.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$25.86 ₫669.6K

120.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$82.6 ₫2.1M

65.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$78.4 ₫2.0M

24.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$401 ₫10.4M

162.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$279 ₫7.2M

120.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$739 ₫19.1M

156.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$617 ₫16.0M

65.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,832 ₫73.3M

43.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,308 ₫33.9M

28.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.46

29.31%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dong Xoai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Dong Xoai

$279 36.2% 54.7% $337

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Dong Xoai

$195 25.4% 33.7% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Dong Xoai

$92 12% 57% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Dong Xoai

$104 13.5% 38.7% $66

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Dong Xoai

$59 7.7% 64.8% $109

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Dong Xoai

$12 1.5% 87.4% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Dong Xoai

$28 3.7% 50.8% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $401 in Dong Xoai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Dong Xoai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $195 – making Dong Xoai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇳 Dong Xoai

🕒 Local time

08:57 8:57 AM

20:57 8:57 PM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

168,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Dong Xoai 18,020 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dong Xoai

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 Xoai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,614 in Medellin, $770 in Dong Xoai – roughly 110% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,156 in Dong Xoai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dong Xoai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $770 in Dong Xoai. That's a gap of about 110%.

Public transport costs about 1061% less in Dong Xoai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dong Xoai, where all-in costs run around $770, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Dong Xoai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $770 in Dong Xoai to $1,614 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dong Xoai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.