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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,097 in Las Terrenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,645 in Las Terrenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $2,194 in Las Terrenas.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 6% less than in Las Terrenas, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Las Terrenas 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$6.64 DOP 392

-10.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$47.74 DOP 2,821

-31.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$7.23 DOP 427

-0.41%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.05 DOP 121

-17.07%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.03 DOP 61.0

6.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.79 DOP 46.39

-8.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.58 DOP 153

-35.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$5.03 DOP 297

-38.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.29 DOP 76.4

-17.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.46 DOP 86.2

-14.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.22 DOP 72.3

13.93%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.65 DOP 97.5

36.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$7.07 DOP 418

-38.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$6.42 DOP 380

-9.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$10.82 DOP 639

-18.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.48 DOP 147

-9.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.92 DOP 54.1

17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.22 DOP 72.0

25.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.22 DOP 72.3

12.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.20 DOP 71.1

-5.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$2.36 DOP 140

-52.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.82 DOP 48.73

3.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.49 DOP 28.74

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$5.00 DOP 295

-53.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$11.74 DOP 694

-5.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$2.31 DOP 136

-48.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.41 DOP 142

-1.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$1.72 DOP 102

-54.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$3.43 DOP 202

-58.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$2.11 DOP 124

-9.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$6.01 DOP 355

33.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.25 DOP 74.1

-24.80%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$26.2K DOP 1.5M

-31.54%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$31.2K DOP 1.8M

-14.23%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$75.8 DOP 4,477

10.81%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$23.02 DOP 1,360

-58.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$35.41 DOP 2,092

-31.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$21.17 DOP 1,251

22.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$17.25 DOP 1,019

10.38%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$6.89 DOP 407

-43.11%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$85.9 DOP 5,078

256.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$4,721 DOP 279.0K

25.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$43.34 DOP 2,561

33.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$41.67 DOP 2,463

-23.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$71.5 DOP 4,224

39.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$83.7 DOP 4,945

28.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$762 DOP 45.0K

-36.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$460 DOP 27.2K

-20.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$1,431 DOP 84.5K

-42.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$685 DOP 40.5K

4.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Las Terrenas: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $762 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 $211 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 6% 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 $1,550 in Medellin and $1,645 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: $487 in Medellin versus $762 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $85.9 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 $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,097 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 $1,034 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 6% less than in Las Terrenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.