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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,166 in Las Terrenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,488 in Las Terrenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,810 in Las Terrenas.

Living in Medellin is roughly 44% more expensive than in Las Terrenas, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Las Terrenas is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$8.54 DOP 503

-6.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$41.99 DOP 2,475

14.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$7.16 DOP 422

38.13%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$1.89 DOP 111

65.61%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.74 DOP 43.57

158.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.41 DOP 24.18

268.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.51 DOP 148

24.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.01 DOP 236

43.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.23 DOP 72.5

17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.76 DOP 104

41.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.52 DOP 89.8

16.45%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.49 DOP 87.7

98.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$6.32 DOP 372

59.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$3.74 DOP 220

170.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$4.81 DOP 283

197.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$3.70 DOP 218

11.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.43 DOP 84.3

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$3.29 DOP 194

-31.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$2.21 DOP 131

1.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$3.54 DOP 208

-42.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$3.07 DOP 181

-49.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.96 DOP 56.5

21.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$1.65 DOP 97.1

-20.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.77 DOP 281

-18.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$16.62 DOP 980

-15.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$2.98 DOP 176

-41.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$3.46 DOP 204

-17.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$2.60 DOP 153

-49.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$3.42 DOP 202

-35.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.33 DOP 78.5

3.01%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$15.5K DOP 910.7K

80.13%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$25.5K DOP 1.5M

40.13%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$95.5 DOP 5,627

85.69%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$27.82 DOP 1,639

-50.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$39.34 DOP 2,318

-24.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$4.95 DOP 292

34.34%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$153 DOP 9,038

430.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$5,479 DOP 322.9K

67.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$27.48 DOP 1,620

225.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$46.19 DOP 2,722

27.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$63.3 DOP 3,731

118.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$68.6 DOP 4,042

48.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$1,004 DOP 59.2K

5.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$509 DOP 30.0K

30.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$2,061 DOP 121.5K

-8.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$2,383 DOP 140.4K

-56.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-0.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Las Terrenas: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $1,004 in Las Terrenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $42.00 in Las Terrenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $241 per month, with Las Terrenas 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

Las Terrenas wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Las Terrenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,748 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $1,004 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $153 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 Las Terrenas – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,166 in Las Terrenas versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Las Terrenas but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Las Terrenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Las Terrenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,166 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Las Terrenas hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Las Terrenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.