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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,198 per month in Sosua vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,075 per month in Sosua vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,953 per month in Sosua vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Sosua costs about 20% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Sosua and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Sosua 10% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.35 DOP 485

$5.91 COP 18.6K

41.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 DOP 2,959

$32.96 COP 103.8K

54.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.10 DOP 413

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-4.44%

Cappuccino

$2.72 DOP 158

$1.65 COP 5,207

64.85%

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

$1.02 DOP 59.3

$1.10 COP 3,468

-7.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 DOP 44.83

$0.78 COP 2,458

-1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 DOP 144

$1.72 COP 5,412

44.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 DOP 289

$3.18 COP 10.0K

56.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 DOP 80.4

$1.10 COP 3,474

25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 DOP 104

$1.26 COP 3,962

42.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 DOP 64.9

$1.38 COP 4,349

-18.84%

Eggs

$1.82 DOP 106

$2.18 COP 6,858

-16.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 DOP 420

$4.49 COP 14.1K

61.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 DOP 371

$5.79 COP 18.2K

10.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 DOP 454

$8.97 COP 28.2K

-12.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 DOP 148

$2.32 COP 7,308

9.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 DOP 47.79

$1.06 COP 3,352

-22.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 DOP 170

$1.52 COP 4,774

92.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 DOP 114

$1.36 COP 4,270

44.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 DOP 136

$1.13 COP 3,552

107.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 DOP 132

$1.17 COP 3,689

94.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 DOP 60.2

$0.90 COP 2,838

15.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 DOP 45.21

$0.90 COP 2,823

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.91 DOP 344

$2.23 COP 7,034

165.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 DOP 634

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-9.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 DOP 150

$1.19 COP 3,743

115.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 DOP 147

$2.48 COP 7,815

2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 DOP 38.20

$0.85 COP 2,687

-22.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 DOP 202

$1.42 COP 4,459

145.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 DOP 128

$1.95 COP 6,141

12.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 DOP 338

$7.89 COP 24.8K

-26.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 DOP 73.7

$0.99 COP 3,118

28.28%

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

$26.3K DOP 1.5M

$17.6K COP 55.4M

49.46%

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

$32.0K DOP 1.9M

$26.8K COP 84.4M

19.45%

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

$77.4 DOP 4,496

$83.0 COP 261.4K

-6.79%

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

$20.00 DOP 1,162

$9.70 COP 30.5K

106.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 DOP 2,133

$23.52 COP 74.1K

56.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.00 DOP 1,453

$25.26 COP 79.5K

-1.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 DOP 385

$3.95 COP 12.4K

67.59%

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

$266 DOP 15.5K

$316 COP 994.2K

-15.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,285 DOP 365.2K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

5.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 DOP 3,484

$60.0 COP 188.9K

-0.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 DOP 2,979

$31.82 COP 100.2K

61.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 DOP 5,679

$102 COP 320.1K

-3.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 DOP 6,600

$107 COP 338.3K

5.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$468 DOP 27.2K

$475 COP 1.5M

-1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 DOP 27.0K

$374 COP 1.2M

24.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 DOP 82.8K

$849 COP 2.7M

67.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 DOP 75.6K

$719 COP 2.3M

80.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,946 DOP 113.1K

$3,265 COP 10.3M

-40.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,802 DOP 104.7K

$1,441 COP 4.5M

25.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $468 in Sosua versus $475 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 $51.0 in Sosua versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $193 – 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 20%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,797 per month in Sosua and $1,504 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 $51.0 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 16% 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 $1,003, than in Sosua at $1,198. 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.