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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,124 in Las Terrenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,657 in Las Terrenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,189 in Las Terrenas.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 11% less than in Las Terrenas, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Las Terrenas 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$6.61 DOP 384

-10.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$46.64 DOP 2,710

-29.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$7.33 DOP 426

1.36%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$2.07 DOP 120

-20.29%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.98 DOP 57.1

12.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.79 DOP 46.06

-1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$2.59 DOP 150

-33.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$5.07 DOP 295

-37.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.30 DOP 75.8

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.41 DOP 81.9

-10.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.21 DOP 70.2

14.05%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.65 DOP 95.9

32.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$7.17 DOP 417

-37.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$6.22 DOP 361

-6.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$10.97 DOP 638

-18.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.53 DOP 147

-8.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$0.85 DOP 49.18

24.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.16 DOP 67.2

31.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.16 DOP 67.3

17.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.16 DOP 67.3

-2.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$2.36 DOP 137

-50.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.83 DOP 48.02

8.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.53 DOP 30.84

69.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$5.12 DOP 297

-56.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$17.36 DOP 1,009

-30.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$2.31 DOP 134

-48.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.34 DOP 136

5.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$1.67 DOP 97.2

-49.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$3.43 DOP 200

-58.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$2.22 DOP 129

-12.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$5.89 DOP 342

33.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.30 DOP 75.8

-23.85%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$26.9K DOP 1.6M

-34.45%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$31.3K DOP 1.8M

-14.49%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$75.7 DOP 4,397

9.70%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$22.67 DOP 1,317

-57.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$36.61 DOP 2,127

-35.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$21.07 DOP 1,224

19.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$16.64 DOP 967

14.78%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$6.65 DOP 386

-40.60%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$85.4 DOP 4,965

269.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$4,760 DOP 276.6K

25.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$42.13 DOP 2,448

42.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$41.78 DOP 2,428

-23.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$71.8 DOP 4,174

41.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$85.8 DOP 4,985

25.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$777 DOP 45.2K

-38.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$455 DOP 26.4K

-17.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$1,459 DOP 84.8K

-41.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$669 DOP 38.9K

7.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Las Terrenas: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $777 in Las Terrenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $47.00 in Las Terrenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $221 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 12% 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 $1,504 in Medellin and $1,686 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: $475 in Medellin versus $777 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $85.4 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 $47.00 in Las Terrenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,124 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 $1,003 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 12% less than in Las Terrenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.