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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Sosua vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,051 per month in Sosua vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,898 per month in Sosua vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Sosua costs about 18% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Sosua and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Sosua 10% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.32 DOP 487

$5.95 COP 20.8K

39.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 DOP 3,029

$33.33 COP 116.3K

55.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 DOP 424

$7.23 COP 25.2K

Cappuccino

$2.71 DOP 158

$1.63 COP 5,687

66.26%

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

$1.03 DOP 60.5

$1.09 COP 3,821

-5.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 DOP 49.30

$0.73 COP 2,548

15.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 DOP 147

$1.74 COP 6,065

44.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 DOP 301

$3.23 COP 11.3K

58.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 DOP 81.4

$1.05 COP 3,662

32.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 DOP 106

$1.29 COP 4,515

39.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 DOP 68.3

$1.32 COP 4,617

-11.36%

Eggs

$1.81 DOP 106

$2.27 COP 7,927

-20.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.02 DOP 411

$4.35 COP 15.2K

61.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 DOP 364

$5.88 COP 20.5K

5.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 DOP 461

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-8.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 DOP 155

$2.25 COP 7,844

17.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 DOP 45.09

$1.07 COP 3,733

-28.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 DOP 174

$1.52 COP 5,322

96.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 DOP 111

$1.42 COP 4,964

33.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 DOP 139

$1.17 COP 4,084

102.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 DOP 136

$1.17 COP 4,077

98.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 DOP 58.6

$0.89 COP 3,096

12.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 DOP 43.86

$0.90 COP 3,146

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.61 DOP 328

$2.25 COP 7,837

149.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 DOP 632

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-2.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 DOP 152

$1.14 COP 3,977

128.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 DOP 148

$2.38 COP 8,301

5.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 DOP 41.26

$0.84 COP 2,916

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 DOP 205

$1.41 COP 4,912

148.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 DOP 128

$1.90 COP 6,634

14.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 DOP 340

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-25.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 DOP 77.2

$1.01 COP 3,509

30.69%

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

$26.5K DOP 1.6M

$17.6K COP 61.4M

50.72%

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

$31.9K DOP 1.9M

$26.5K COP 92.5M

20.26%

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

$77.8 DOP 4,557

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-7.04%

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

$20.16 DOP 1,181

$9.45 COP 33.0K

113.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.88 DOP 2,102

$24.11 COP 84.1K

48.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.96 DOP 1,521

$25.31 COP 88.3K

2.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 DOP 386

$4.10 COP 14.3K

60.98%

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

$267 DOP 15.6K

$312 COP 1.1M

-14.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,318 DOP 370.1K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

5.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 DOP 3,465

$58.0 COP 202.6K

1.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 DOP 3,050

$32.56 COP 113.6K

59.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 DOP 5,631

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-3.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 DOP 6,698

$109 COP 378.8K

5.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 DOP 26.9K

$482 COP 1.7M

-4.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 DOP 27.7K

$379 COP 1.3M

24.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 DOP 84.3K

$837 COP 2.9M

71.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 DOP 76.1K

$723 COP 2.5M

79.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,924 DOP 112.7K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-32.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,834 DOP 107.4K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

49.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $460 in Sosua versus $482 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 $52.0 in Sosua versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 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 18%, 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 $1,806 per month in Sosua and $1,525 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 $52.0 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 18% 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 $1,017, than in Sosua at $1,204. 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.