Cost of Living Comparison Between Makarska and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Makarska and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,560 in Makarska versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,442 in Makarska versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Makarska versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Makarska is roughly 56% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Makarska is 17% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.22 €14.14

$5.91 COP 18.9K

174.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 €70.7

$32.96 COP 105.2K

146.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 €6.96

$7.43 COP 23.7K

7.54%

Cappuccino

$3.50 €3.05

$1.65 COP 5,276

112.12%

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

$3.64 €3.17

$1.10 COP 3,514

230.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.30

$0.78 COP 2,491

237.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.73 €4.13

$1.72 COP 5,484

175.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 €3.24

$3.18 COP 10.1K

16.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.10 COP 3,521

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.26 COP 4,015

7.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.38 COP 4,407

118.12%

Eggs

$5.06 €4.41

$2.18 COP 6,950

132.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.01 €15.70

$4.49 COP 14.3K

301.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 €9.95

$5.79 COP 18.5K

97.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.41 €9.95

$8.97 COP 28.6K

27.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 €1.39

$2.32 COP 7,405

-31.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.06 COP 3,397

48.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.52 COP 4,838

36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.11

$1.36 COP 4,327

77.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 €1.27

$1.13 COP 3,599

29.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.17 COP 3,738

22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.90 COP 2,876

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.02

$0.90 COP 2,861

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.28 €4.60

$2.23 COP 7,128

136.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 €6.39

$12.12 COP 38.7K

-39.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.19 COP 3,793

10.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.18

$2.48 COP 7,920

-45.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$0.85 COP 2,723

109.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.28 €37.73

$41.62 COP 132.8K

3.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 €2.66

$1.42 COP 4,518

114.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.96

$1.95 COP 6,223

-43.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.79 €7.67

$7.89 COP 25.2K

11.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.49

$0.99 COP 3,160

71.72%

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

$38.2K €33.3K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

116.93%

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

$26.3K €22.9K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

-1.86%

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

$183 €160

$83.0 COP 264.9K

120.49%

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

$23.60 €20.58

$9.70 COP 30.9K

143.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.64 €26.71

$23.52 COP 75.0K

30.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 €45.67

$25.26 COP 80.6K

107.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.51 €12.65

$19.10 COP 60.9K

-24.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.18 €7.13

$3.95 COP 12.6K

107.09%

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

$239 €208

$316 COP 1.0M

-24.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,394 €1,216

$5,975 COP 19.1M

-76.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$60.0 COP 191.4K

75.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.62 €39.77

$31.82 COP 101.5K

43.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 €121

$102 COP 324.4K

36.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €93.1

$107 COP 342.8K

-0.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 €591

$475 COP 1.5M

42.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 €396

$374 COP 1.2M

21.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 €918

$849 COP 2.7M

24.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 €676

$719 COP 2.3M

7.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,708 €3,233

$3,265 COP 10.4M

13.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,645 €2,306

$1,441 COP 4.6M

83.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.7

13.43

-65.00%

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

Last update for Makarska: July 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Makarska and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Makarska vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $193 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

Makarska vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,340 in Makarska and $1,504 in Medellin 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: $678 in Makarska versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $239 in Makarska versus $316 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Makarska. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,560 in Makarska, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Makarska. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Makarska, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Makarska and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Makarska. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.