Cost of Living Comparison Between Sosua and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Sosua and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,206 per month in Sosua vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,065 per month in Sosua vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,925 per month in Sosua vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Sosua costs about 17% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Sosua and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Sosua 10% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.60 DOP 508

$5.92 COP 21.4K

45.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 DOP 2,967

$32.75 COP 118.2K

53.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.94 DOP 410

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-3.61%

Cappuccino

$2.65 DOP 157

$1.70 COP 6,140

55.88%

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

$1.03 DOP 60.9

$1.10 COP 3,966

-6.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 DOP 48.56

$0.72 COP 2,605

13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 DOP 148

$1.67 COP 6,022

50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 DOP 297

$3.10 COP 11.2K

62.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 DOP 81.7

$1.06 COP 3,809

30.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 DOP 105

$1.25 COP 4,497

42.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 DOP 66.0

$1.39 COP 5,022

-19.42%

Eggs

$1.88 DOP 111

$2.26 COP 8,168

-16.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.05 DOP 417

$4.33 COP 15.6K

62.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 DOP 376

$5.84 COP 21.1K

8.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.71 DOP 456

$8.83 COP 31.9K

-12.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 DOP 153

$2.24 COP 8,099

15.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 DOP 49.20

$1.08 COP 3,882

-23.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 DOP 173

$1.53 COP 5,522

91.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 DOP 117

$1.37 COP 4,950

44.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 DOP 134

$1.13 COP 4,078

100.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 DOP 136

$1.12 COP 4,036

106.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 DOP 61.4

$0.85 COP 3,057

22.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 DOP 43.93

$0.91 COP 3,281

-18.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.64 DOP 333

$2.33 COP 8,414

142.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 DOP 695

$11.13 COP 40.2K

5.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 DOP 151

$1.19 COP 4,309

114.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 DOP 145

$2.37 COP 8,553

3.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 DOP 42.17

$0.79 COP 2,838

-10.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 DOP 206

$1.44 COP 5,184

142.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 DOP 131

$1.91 COP 6,901

16.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.01 DOP 355

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-25.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 DOP 77.9

$0.94 COP 3,385

40.43%

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

$26.7K DOP 1.6M

$17.9K COP 64.7M

48.77%

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

$31.6K DOP 1.9M

$26.8K COP 96.7M

17.78%

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

$77.0 DOP 4,548

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-8.33%

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

$20.62 DOP 1,218

$9.60 COP 34.7K

114.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.91 DOP 2,122

$24.16 COP 87.2K

48.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.69 DOP 1,518

$25.88 COP 93.4K

-0.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 DOP 401

$3.92 COP 14.1K

72.96%

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

$263 DOP 15.5K

$306 COP 1.1M

-14.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,391 DOP 377.6K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

7.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 DOP 3,609

$57.9 COP 209.1K

5.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 DOP 3,044

$31.82 COP 114.9K

61.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 DOP 5,583

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-5.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 DOP 6,799

$107 COP 386.8K

7.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 DOP 27.5K

$487 COP 1.8M

-4.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 DOP 28.4K

$368 COP 1.3M

30.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 DOP 86.0K

$826 COP 3.0M

76.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 DOP 75.0K

$716 COP 2.6M

77.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,844 DOP 108.9K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-36.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,761 DOP 104.1K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

25.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.9

13.43

-3.95%

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

Last update for Sosua: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $466 in Sosua versus $487 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Sosua versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $190 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Sosua vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sosua is pricier by about 17%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,809 per month in Sosua and $1,550 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Sosua and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Sosua, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in Sosua at $1,206. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sosua it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sosua makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.