Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Las Terrenas Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Las Terrenas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,106 in Las Terrenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,653 in Las Terrenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,200 in Las Terrenas.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 8% less than in Las Terrenas, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Las Terrenas 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$6.72 DOP 394

-11.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$47.99 DOP 2,811

-30.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$7.22 DOP 423

0.14%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.04 DOP 120

-20.10%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.00 DOP 58.5

9.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.84 DOP 49.34

-13.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.50 DOP 147

-30.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$4.96 DOP 290

-34.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.23 DOP 72.3

-14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.39 DOP 81.3

-7.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.17 DOP 68.8

12.82%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.65 DOP 96.7

37.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$6.95 DOP 407

-37.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$6.46 DOP 378

-8.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$10.84 DOP 635

-20.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.50 DOP 146

-10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.85 DOP 49.83

25.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.16 DOP 68.2

31.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.17 DOP 68.4

21.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.21 DOP 70.6

-3.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$2.35 DOP 138

-50.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.87 DOP 51.0

2.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.48 DOP 28.38

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$4.97 DOP 291

-54.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$17.02 DOP 997

-35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$2.41 DOP 141

-52.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.36 DOP 138

0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$1.71 DOP 100

-50.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$3.37 DOP 197

-58.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$2.22 DOP 130

-14.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$5.97 DOP 350

29.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.31 DOP 76.5

-22.90%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

-32.94%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$31.1K DOP 1.8M

-14.85%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$75.0 DOP 4,392

11.62%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$23.36 DOP 1,368

-59.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$35.70 DOP 2,091

-32.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$21.37 DOP 1,252

18.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$17.25 DOP 1,011

10.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.64 DOP 389

-38.25%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$85.6 DOP 5,015

264.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$4,650 DOP 272.4K

28.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$42.39 DOP 2,483

36.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$42.95 DOP 2,516

-24.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$71.6 DOP 4,196

39.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$85.8 DOP 5,028

26.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$767 DOP 44.9K

-37.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$451 DOP 26.4K

-15.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$1,471 DOP 86.1K

-43.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$666 DOP 39.0K

8.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

12.9

4.11%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Las Terrenas: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $767 in Las Terrenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $48.00 in Las Terrenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $220 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 Las Terrenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Las Terrenas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $1,659 in Las Terrenas 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Medellin versus $767 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $85.6 in Las Terrenas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $48.00 in Las Terrenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,106 in Las Terrenas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Las Terrenas. 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 $1,017 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Las Terrenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.