Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kavadarci

For one person, living is cheaper in Kavadarci: $770 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Kavadarci, North Macedonia
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Kavadarci
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
$770
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kavadarci

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Kavadarci actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $770 in Kavadarci, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Kavadarci $770

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,170 in Kavadarci, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Kavadarci $1,170

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,570 in Kavadarci, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Kavadarci $1,570

Medellin costs about 113% more than Kavadarci, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Kavadarci is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Kavadarci
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$5.37 MKD 294
50.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.8K
$27.21 MKD 1,488
72.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$3.68 MKD 201
158.15%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,729
$1.45 MKD 79.4
107.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,806
$1.10 MKD 60.2
63.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,558
$0.77 MKD 42.16
83.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.2K
$1.60 MKD 87.7
98.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$2.20 MKD 121
161.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Kavadarci
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,873
$1.22 MKD 66.9
23.77%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,673
$0.76 MKD 41.41
213.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,716
$1.41 MKD 77.2
25.53%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,327
$2.51 MKD 137
15.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$6.99 MKD 382
45.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$6.44 MKD 352
53.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.1K
$10.27 MKD 561
36.22%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$0.62 MKD 34.11
540.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,009
$1.41 MKD 76.9
9.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,044
$1.17 MKD 64.0
86.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$1.94 MKD 106
12.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,333
$0.87 MKD 47.62
125.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,129
$0.80 MKD 43.69
98.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,696
$0.62 MKD 34.13
85.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,012
$0.48 MKD 26.42
158.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$3.25 MKD 177
21.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$3.73 MKD 204
266.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,356
$0.87 MKD 47.83
90.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,286
$1.33 MKD 72.9
69.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Kavadarci
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,769
$0.71 MKD 38.95
64.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.7K
$29.53 MKD 1,615
162.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,092
$1.07 MKD 58.3
18.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,608
$0.56 MKD 30.88
266.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$3.74 MKD 205
128.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,346
$1.47 MKD 80.1
-8.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.9M
$34.4K MKD 1.9M
-0.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$25.0K MKD 1.4M
38.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Kavadarci
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.5K
$87.4 MKD 4,777
94.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$8.96 MKD 490
51.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$19.30 MKD 1,055
45.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Kavadarci
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.0K
$22.17 MKD 1,212
97.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$5.11 MKD 280
35.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Kavadarci
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$371 MKD 20.3K
114.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$5,627 MKD 307.7K
61.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Kavadarci
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.4K
$71.9 MKD 3,933
17.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.0K
$36.53 MKD 1,997
58.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.5K
$86.8 MKD 4,746
55.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 315.8K
$114 MKD 6,226
-14.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Kavadarci
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$216 MKD 11.8K
458.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$183 MKD 10.0K
250.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$366 MKD 20.0K
453.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$269 MKD 14.7K
275.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$1,263 MKD 69.0K
230.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$1,045 MKD 57.2K
82.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Kavadarci
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$576 MKD 31.5K
14.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.23
158.63%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kavadarci: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Kavadarci
$183 71.5% $458
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Kavadarci
$172 42% $125
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Kavadarci
$116 45.3% $96
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Kavadarci
$91 46.1% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Kavadarci
$139 17.7% $30
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Kavadarci
$36 61.2% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Kavadarci
$32 43.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $216 in Kavadarci. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $27 in Kavadarci. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $172 – making Kavadarci the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇲🇰 Kavadarci
🕒 Local time
22:28 10:28 PM
04:28 4:28 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
29,320
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 54.68 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.29 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Kavadarci 10,180 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Kavadarci

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kavadarci: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kavadarci cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 113%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,155 in Kavadarci. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kavadarci, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $216 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Kavadarci?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $770 in Kavadarci. That makes Kavadarci about 53% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 62% less in Kavadarci. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Kavadarci?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kavadarci, where all-in costs run around $770, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Kavadarci it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Kavadarci more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kavadarci – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kavadarci. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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