Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dorado Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dorado

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,290 in Dorado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,025 in Dorado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,759 in Dorado.

Living in Medellin is roughly 27% more expensive than in Dorado, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Dorado is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$18.54 $18.54

-56.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$84.7 $84.7

-42.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.18 $9.18

2.61%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.59 $3.59

-18.11%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.87 $1.87

-0.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.50 $1.50

-2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.95 $2.95

8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$5.14 $5.14

11.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.24 $2.24

-35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$3.73 $3.73

-35.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.35 $2.35

-27.66%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$6.79 $6.79

-57.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$12.65 $12.65

-20.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$9.66 $9.66

3.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$13.36 $13.36

6.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$4.93 $4.93

-19.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.53 $2.53

-37.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$4.81 $4.81

-55.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$4.86 $4.86

-52.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$3.81 $3.81

-47.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$4.06 $4.06

-62.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$3.40 $3.40

-64.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.60 $1.60

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$12.10 $12.10

-68.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$15.41 $15.41

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$3.12 $3.12

-45.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$4.03 $4.03

-32.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.45 $2.45

-46.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.47 $1.47

47.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$41.31 $41.31

-79.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.08 $1.08

25.93%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$40.4K $40.4K

-32.02%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$27.5K $27.5K

32.75%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$318 $318

-46.95%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$28.22 $28.22

-51.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$69.4 $69.4

-59.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$10.46 $10.46

-36.42%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$828 $828

-2.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$6,629 $6,629

38.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$55.3 $55.3

58.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$61.6 $61.6

-3.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$107 $107

30.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$113 $113

-9.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.55

67.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Dorado: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $85.0 in Dorado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $413 per month, with Medellin 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 Dorado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dorado is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,936 in Dorado 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.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $828 in Dorado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dorado – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,290 in Dorado versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dorado but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dorado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dorado is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Dorado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.