Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Osijek

For one person, living is cheaper in Osijek: $1,437 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Osijek, Croatia
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Osijek
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,437
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Osijek

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,437 in Osijek, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Osijek $1,437

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,217 in Osijek, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Osijek $2,217

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,998 in Osijek, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Osijek $2,998

Medellin costs about 14% more than Osijek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Osijek sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Osijek by 6%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Osijek
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$11.21 €10.07
-27.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$56.3 €50.5
-16.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$9.05 €8.13
4.97%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$2.67 €2.40
12.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$3.40 €3.06
-47.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$2.87 €2.57
-50.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$5.53 €4.97
-42.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$5.50 €4.94
4.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Osijek
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$1.14 €1.02
32.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$1.48 €1.33
60.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$2.78 €2.50
-36.33%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$3.46 €3.11
-16.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$11.63 €10.45
-12.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$8.66 €7.78
13.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$11.54 €10.36
21.23%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$1.73 €1.56
129.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$1.64 €1.47
-5.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$1.82 €1.64
19.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$2.62 €2.36
-16.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$1.32 €1.19
48.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$1.17 €1.05
35.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$1.18 €1.06
-2.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$1.18 €1.06
5.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$5.95 €5.35
-33.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$8.38 €7.53
63.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$1.61 €1.44
3.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$2.01 €1.80
12.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Osijek
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
$1.74 €1.56
-32.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
$37.15 €33.37
108.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$2.19 €1.97
-42.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$1.09 €0.98
88.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$14.79 €13.28
-42.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$1.89 €1.70
-28.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$27.3K €24.5K
24.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$24.9K €22.3K
39.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Osijek
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$193 €174
-12.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$21.77 €19.56
-37.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$44.37 €39.85
-36.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Osijek
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
$43.77 €39.32
-0.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
$8.78 €7.88
95.79%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$9.90 €8.89
-30.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Osijek
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$414 €372
92.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$4,095 €3,679
122.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Osijek
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$104 €93.2
-18.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$38.98 €35.01
48.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$97.7 €87.8
38.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$109 €98.4
-10.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Osijek
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$652 €585
85.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$435 €391
47.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$1,189 €1,068
70.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$835 €750
21.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
$2,761 €2,480
51.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$2,173 €1,952
-12.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Osijek
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$1,343 €1,206
-51.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.67
198.09%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Osijek: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Osijek
$435 32.2% $207
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Osijek
$257 13.5% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Osijek
$259 22.8% $48
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Osijek
$213 25.4% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Osijek
$157 6.8% $12
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Osijek
$52 44.7% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Osijek
$64 10.5% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $652 in Osijek. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Osijek are about 2 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $56 in Osijek. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $257 in Osijek – so Osijek wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇭🇷 Osijek
🕒 Local time
17:12 5:12 PM
23:12 11:12 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
75,535
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Osijek 9,840 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Osijek

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 Osijek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Osijek cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,155 in Osijek. 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 Osijek, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $652 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Osijek?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $56 in Osijek. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Osijek?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,437 in Osijek. That makes Osijek about 12% cheaper.
Is Medellin or Osijek more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Osijek – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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