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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,645 in Makarska.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,536 in Makarska.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,427 in Makarska.

Living in Medellin is roughly 2% more expensive than in Makarska, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Makarska 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$17.82 €15.51

-54.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$79.5 €69.1

-39.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$8.15 €7.09

21.35%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$3.45 €3.00

-9.28%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$4.19 €3.65

-54.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$3.09 €2.69

-51.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$5.81 €5.05

-46.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$4.59 €4.00

25.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.16 €1.01

24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.77 €1.54

40.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$3.26 €2.83

-45.71%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$4.99 €4.34

-40.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$15.95 €13.88

-36.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$10.18 €8.86

-0.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$12.38 €10.77

15.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$1.96 €1.70

111.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.56 €1.36

3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$2.17 €1.89

3.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$2.75 €2.39

-18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$2.35 €2.05

-13.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$2.13 €1.86

-27.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.58 €1.37

-25.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$1.70 €1.48

-22.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$5.69 €4.95

-31.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$7.85 €6.83

78.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.46 €1.27

19.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$1.52 €1.33

88.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$1.66 €1.45

-26.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$43.07 €37.48

86.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$3.82 €3.32

-65.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$1.32 €1.15

65.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$19.02 €16.55

-54.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.68 €1.46

-18.45%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$27.0K €23.5K

3.06%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$26.1K €22.7K

36.99%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$185 €161

-3.95%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$28.09 €24.45

-50.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$44.40 €38.64

-33.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$49.78 €43.33

-9.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$17.04 €14.83

0.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$9.18 €7.99

-27.56%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$432 €376

88.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$7,074 €6,156

29.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$92.6 €80.6

-3.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$46.85 €40.78

25.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$108 €93.7

28.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$81.1 €70.6

25.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$692 €602

53.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$543 €472

22.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,235 €1,075

52.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$852 €741

20.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$4,535 €3,947

-7.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$3,298 €2,870

-49.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Makarska: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $692 in Makarska. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $79.0 in Makarska. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $304, with Makarska cheaper for home cooking.

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

Makarska is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $2,468 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $692 in Makarska. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $432 in Makarska. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,645 in Makarska versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Makarska but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Makarska the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Makarska 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 Makarska gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.