Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Higuey Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Higuey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $931 in Higuey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,524 in Higuey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,116 in Higuey.

Living in Medellin is roughly 80% more expensive than in Higuey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Higuey is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$9.98 DOP 588

-19.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$50.6 DOP 2,982

-5.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$8.00 DOP 472

23.63%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.09 DOP 123

49.76%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.08 DOP 63.9

76.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.49 DOP 28.94

208.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.56 DOP 151

21.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.60 DOP 212

59.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.29 DOP 75.9

11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.56 DOP 92.0

59.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.42 DOP 83.6

24.65%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.00 DOP 118

48.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$7.55 DOP 445

33.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$5.52 DOP 325

83.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$6.84 DOP 403

109.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$3.01 DOP 177

37.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$0.79 DOP 46.56

103.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.50 DOP 88.6

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.37 DOP 80.9

64.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.20 DOP 70.8

70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.21 DOP 71.2

27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.57 DOP 33.51

105.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.53 DOP 31.07

147.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$5.42 DOP 319

-28.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$10.40 DOP 613

34.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$2.58 DOP 152

-32.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.96 DOP 174

-3.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.83 DOP 49.09

46.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$51.5 DOP 3,032

56.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.37 DOP 198

-61.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.34 DOP 138

-6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$5.83 DOP 343

49.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.37 DOP 81.0

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$23.8K DOP 1.4M

17.13%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$31.5K DOP 1.9M

13.64%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$95.1 DOP 5,606

86.38%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$17.15 DOP 1,011

-19.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$33.89 DOP 1,997

-12.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$25.44 DOP 1,499

76.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$66.5 DOP 3,916

-74.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$7.74 DOP 456

-14.08%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$101 DOP 5,950

705.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$2,257 DOP 133.0K

306.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$46.76 DOP 2,755

91.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$47.87 DOP 2,821

23.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$87.8 DOP 5,172

57.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$81.5 DOP 4,800

25.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$302 DOP 17.8K

251.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$219 DOP 12.9K

202.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$589 DOP 34.7K

220.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$415 DOP 24.5K

147.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,876 DOP 110.5K

123.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,294 DOP 76.3K

29.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$454 DOP 26.7K

49.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.5

-4.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Higuey: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $302 in Higuey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 49% 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 $51.0 in Higuey. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $200, with Higuey 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 Higuey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Higuey is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 49% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $302 in Higuey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $931 in Higuey – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Higuey runs roughly 56% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $931 in Higuey versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Higuey but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Higuey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Higuey 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Higuey 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 Higuey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.