Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Makarska

For one person, living is cheaper in Makarska: $1,613 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Medellin, Colombia
Makarska, Croatia
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Makarska
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,613
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Makarska

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 Makarska actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $1,613 in Makarska.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Makarska $1,613

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $2,481 in Makarska.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Makarska $2,481

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $3,349 in Makarska.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Makarska $3,349

Living in Medellin is roughly 5% more expensive than in Makarska, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Makarska 19% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Makarska
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 27.0K
$17.40 €15.46
-52.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.9K
$77.1 €68.5
-39.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.7K
$7.93 €7.04
19.42%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.2K
$3.25 €2.88
-3.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,727
$4.00 €3.55
-55.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,619
$3.06 €2.72
-53.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$5.45 €4.84
-42.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.5K
$4.83 €4.29
18.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Makarska
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,969
$1.18 €1.05
29.66%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,429
$1.66 €1.47
37.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,306
$3.04 €2.70
-36.18%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,942
$5.03 €4.47
-38.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.4K
$14.99 €13.31
-33.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.9K
$9.57 €8.51
9.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.3K
$12.11 €10.76
15.28%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$1.92 €1.70
110.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,956
$1.59 €1.41
-3.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,823
$2.09 €1.86
0.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,437
$2.67 €2.38
-14.23%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,839
$2.20 €1.95
-4.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,542
$2.08 €1.85
-17.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,794
$1.59 €1.41
-26.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,123
$1.55 €1.38
1.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.7K
$5.69 €5.06
-31.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.5K
$7.92 €7.04
77.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,712
$1.37 €1.21
28.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,793
$1.48 €1.32
83.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Makarska
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,825
$1.69 €1.50
-30.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 247.4K
$43.77 €38.88
74.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,859
$3.30 €2.94
-45.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,904
$1.38 €1.23
54.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.4K
$13.47 €11.97
-39.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,135
$1.65 €1.47
-22.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.7M
$26.2K €23.2K
31.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.7M
$24.6K €21.9K
38.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Makarska
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 576.3K
$181 €161
-1.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 45.0K
$27.54 €24.47
-49.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.7K
$42.92 €38.13
-28.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Makarska
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 136.0K
$51.7 €45.92
-18.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.5K
$15.42 €13.70
8.95%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.2K
$10.67 €9.48
-29.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Makarska
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$412 €366
91.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.9M
$6,854 €6,088
79.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Makarska
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 279.9K
$91.0 €80.8
-5.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 192.2K
$44.42 €39.46
33.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 448.6K
$104 €92.4
32.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 320.4K
$79.4 €70.5
24.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Makarska
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$685 €608
95.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$525 €467
26.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$1,162 €1,032
69.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$862 €766
19.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.3M
$3,989 €3,543
2.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$2,885 €2,563
-32.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Makarska
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.72
194.09%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Makarska: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Makarska
$525 21.3% $142
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Makarska
$292 5% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Makarska
$252 13.1% $29
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Makarska
$267 54.7% $94
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Makarska
$143 16.7% $29
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Makarska
$61 35% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Makarska
$73 28.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $685 in Makarska. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $77 in Makarska. Groceries flip the comparison at $307 vs $292, with Makarska cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇭🇷 Makarska
🕒 Local time
18:42 6:42 PM
00:42 12:42 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
12,809
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Makarska 9,740 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Makarska

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 Makarska: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Makarska cheaper than Medellin?
Makarska is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,538 in Medellin and $2,420 in Makarska 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.
What is the rent difference between Medellin and Makarska?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,341 in Medellin versus $685 in Makarska. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $412 in Makarska. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Makarska?
Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $2,500 enough for either Medellin or Makarska?
Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Makarska gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Medellin or Makarska more family-friendly?
For families, Makarska is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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