Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hvar Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hvar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,519 in Hvar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $2,317 in Hvar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $3,115 in Hvar.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 34% less than in Hvar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% below, Hvar is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.9K

$13.49 €11.85

-56.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 105.5K

$73.2 €64.3

-55.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.8K

$9.02 €7.92

-17.63%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,293

$2.54 €2.23

-35.04%

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

$1.10 COP 3,526

$3.23 €2.84

-65.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,499

$2.36 €2.07

-66.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,502

$3.62 €3.18

-52.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$4.24 €3.72

-25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,532

$1.23 €1.08

-10.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,028

$1.51 €1.33

-16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,421

$3.08 €2.71

-55.19%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,973

$3.84 €3.37

-43.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.4K

$10.85 €9.53

-58.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.5K

$9.89 €8.68

-41.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.7K

$11.70 €10.27

-23.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,429

$1.64 €1.44

41.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,408

$1.71 €1.50

-38.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,854

$1.98 €1.74

-23.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,341

$2.46 €2.16

-44.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,611

$1.34 €1.18

-15.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,750

$1.27 €1.12

-7.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,885

$1.27 €1.12

-29.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,870

$1.22 €1.07

-26.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,151

$5.65 €4.96

-60.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.8K

$6.83 €6.00

77.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,805

$1.44 €1.26

-17.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,945

$1.99 €1.74

24.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,732

$1.78 €1.56

-52.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 133.2K

$43.23 €37.96

-3.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,533

$3.03 €2.66

-53.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,243

$1.05 €0.92

85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.2K

$9.00 €7.90

-12.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,170

$1.78 €1.56

-44.38%

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

$17.6K COP 56.3M

$38.2K €33.5K

-53.89%

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

$26.8K COP 85.8M

$26.2K €23.0K

2.34%

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

$83.0 COP 265.7K

$187 €164

-55.56%

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

$9.70 COP 31.0K

$22.86 €20.07

-57.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 75.3K

$31.74 €27.87

-25.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 80.8K

$51.1 €44.89

-50.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 61.1K

$14.60 €12.82

30.82%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.6K

$8.87 €7.79

-55.47%

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

$316 COP 1.0M

$244 €215

29.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.1M

$8,018 €7,040

-25.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 192.0K

$93.1 €81.7

-35.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 101.8K

$39.24 €34.46

-18.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 325.4K

$104 €91.3

-2.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 343.9K

$105 €92.3

2.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$696 €611

-31.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$530 €466

-29.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$1,104 €969

-23.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$819 €719

-12.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.5M

$4,106 €3,605

-20.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.6M

$3,236 €2,841

-55.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.35

208.74%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Hvar: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $696 in Hvar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $73.0 in Hvar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $262 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

Medellin vs Hvar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,504 in Medellin and $2,279 in Hvar 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: $475 in Medellin versus $696 in Hvar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $73.0 in Hvar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,003 per month in Medellin versus $1,519 in Hvar – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,519 in Hvar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hvar. 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 Hvar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Hvar 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 52% less than in Hvar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.