Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tetovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Tetovo: $995 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Tetovo
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
$995
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tetovo

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $995 in Tetovo, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Tetovo $995

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,498 in Tetovo, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Tetovo $1,498

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,001 in Tetovo, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Tetovo $2,001

Medellin costs about 62% more than Tetovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tetovo is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Tetovo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$7.35 MKD 401
7.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.3K
$27.44 MKD 1,497
68.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$5.84 MKD 319
62.67%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,866
$1.49 MKD 81.4
108.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,800
$1.48 MKD 80.7
23.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,360
$0.92 MKD 50.4
50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,672
$2.16 MKD 118
41.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.4K
$2.20 MKD 120
150.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Tetovo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,600
$1.25 MKD 68.2
16.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,496
$0.63 MKD 34.44
274.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,328
$1.30 MKD 71.0
29.23%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,077
$2.12 MKD 116
34.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$7.23 MKD 394
40.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.2K
$5.34 MKD 291
78.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.5K
$10.05 MKD 548
39.70%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$1.43 MKD 78.1
184.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,742
$1.45 MKD 79.2
3.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,891
$0.99 MKD 54.0
119.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,310
$1.88 MKD 103
22.87%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,113
$0.90 MKD 49.04
114.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,196
$0.69 MKD 37.87
137.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,571
$0.58 MKD 31.79
94.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,954
$0.50 MKD 27.27
150.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.6K
$3.04 MKD 166
31.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.3K
$4.50 MKD 245
196.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,384
$1.01 MKD 55.1
68.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,525
$1.43 MKD 78.1
65.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Tetovo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,827
$0.37 MKD 20.19
227.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 242.5K
$10.77 MKD 588
610.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,179
$1.07 MKD 58.6
23.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,774
$0.56 MKD 30.35
282.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.8K
$7.71 MKD 421
9.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,114
$1.49 MKD 81.4
-12.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 88.7M
$35.9K MKD 2.0M
-22.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.3M
$27.7K MKD 1.5M
27.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Tetovo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 545.6K
$158 MKD 8,610
9.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.4K
$17.78 MKD 970
-24.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.1K
$18.94 MKD 1,033
51.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Tetovo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.5K
$70.1 MKD 3,822
-35.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.0K
$18.00 MKD 982
-5.33%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 19.9K
$5.49 MKD 300
14.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Tetovo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$220 MKD 12.0K
250.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.6M
$2,152 MKD 117.4K
318.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Tetovo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.0K
$62.9 MKD 3,430
37.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.1K
$36.22 MKD 1,976
57.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 432.9K
$99.6 MKD 5,435
37.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.4K
$112 MKD 6,104
-12.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Tetovo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.3M
$353 MKD 19.3K
198.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$275 MKD 15.0K
124.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$575 MKD 31.4K
229.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.2M
$489 MKD 26.7K
108.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$1,214 MKD 66.2K
234.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
$1,079 MKD 58.8K
55.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Tetovo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
$858 MKD 46.8K
-23.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.75
191.73%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tetovo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Tetovo
$275 55.4% $341
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Tetovo
$170 42.4% $125
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Tetovo
$195 9.2% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Tetovo
$140 17.8% $30
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Tetovo
$119 29.3% $49
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Tetovo
$16 82.7% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Tetovo
$81 40.2% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $353 in Tetovo. 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 32% higher in Tetovo, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $27.00 in Tetovo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $170 – making Tetovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇲🇰 Tetovo
🕒 Local time
02:07 2:07 AM
09:07 9:07 AM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
53,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Tetovo 10,080 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Tetovo

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 Tetovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tetovo cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 62%, 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 $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,492 in Tetovo. 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 Tetovo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Tetovo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $27.00 in Tetovo. 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 Tetovo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $995 in Tetovo. That's a gap of about 62%.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Tetovo?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tetovo, where all-in costs run around $995, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Tetovo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Tetovo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Tetovo – 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 Tetovo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, 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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