Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dorchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dorchester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,262 in Dorchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $3,360 in Dorchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $4,459 in Dorchester.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 24% less than in Dorchester, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Dorchester 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$16.21 £11.99

-50.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$82.2 £60.8

-41.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$5.30 £3.92

84.34%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$4.72 £3.49

-38.35%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$2.73 £2.02

-28.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$1.86 £1.38

-18.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$7.85 £5.81

-60.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$6.98 £5.16

-17.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.62 £1.20

-16.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.37 £1.02

74.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$2.11 £1.56

-19.43%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$4.38 £3.24

-34.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$8.74 £6.47

13.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$9.00 £6.66

19.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$12.09 £8.95

21.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.95 £2.18

38.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.83 £1.36

-14.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$2.65 £1.96

-19.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$4.27 £3.16

-48.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$2.10 £1.55

-2.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.50 £1.11

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.80 £0.59

48.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$2.04 £1.51

-43.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$23.94 £17.71

-83.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$10.74 £7.94

34.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$2.95 £2.18

-46.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$3.57 £2.64

-20.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$3.61 £2.67

-67.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$96.0 £71.0

-19.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$3.49 £2.58

-63.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$1.66 £1.23

25.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$27.35 £20.23

-68.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$2.16 £1.59

-39.81%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$39.6K £29.3K

-30.20%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$41.9K £31.0K

-15.27%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$232 £172

-24.19%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$18.22 £13.48

-26.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$40.36 £29.86

-25.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$47.85 £35.40

-6.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$14.47 £10.70

-57.15%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$2,270 £1,679

-65.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$26.1K £19.3K

-65.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$60.8 £44.96

40.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$50.1 £37.03

16.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$108 £79.7

26.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$101 £74.5

2.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$1,276 £944

-16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$1,056 £781

-35.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$2,139 £1,582

-5.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$1,699 £1,257

-31.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$5,185 £3,836

-20.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$4,229 £3,129

-59.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$1,805 £1,335

-63.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.87

124.64%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Dorchester: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $1,276 in Dorchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dorchester pays 171% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $82.0 in Dorchester. Groceries flip the comparison at $303 vs $301, with Dorchester cheaper for home cooking.

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 Dorchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Dorchester. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 171% lower in Dorchester. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,060 in Medellin versus $1,276 in Dorchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Dorchester pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $82.0 in Dorchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,262 in Dorchester, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Dorchester. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Dorchester are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Dorchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.