Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zatec

For one person, living is cheaper in Zatec: $1,232 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Zatec
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Zatec Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Zatec

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zatec

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,232 in Zatec, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Zatec $1,232

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,931 in Zatec, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Zatec $1,931

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,630 in Zatec, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Zatec $2,630

Medellin costs about 32% more than Zatec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Zatec is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$6.77 Kč 146

22.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$18.11 Kč 392

159.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$8.92 Kč 193

3.59%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.95 Kč 63.9

3.39%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.71 Kč 15.31

153.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.88 Kč 18.98

56.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.33 Kč 50.5

39.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$2.71 Kč 58.5

105.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$0.83 Kč 17.85

80.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.33 Kč 28.76

78.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$2.24 Kč 48.54

-24.11%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.45 Kč 53.0

20.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$5.88 Kč 127

73.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$5.50 Kč 119

77.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$7.07 Kč 153

96.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.26 Kč 27.29

227.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.56 Kč 33.84

-1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.06 Kč 44.60

7.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$3.29 Kč 71.2

-31.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.94 Kč 20.25

111.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.09 Kč 23.63

53.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.54 Kč 33.38

-23.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.55 Kč 11.99

125.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$5.92 Kč 128

-34.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$5.36 Kč 116

157.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$0.89 Kč 19.21

86.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.70 Kč 36.86

41.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.33 Kč 7.22

275.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$25.19 Kč 545

210.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.79 Kč 60.4

-54.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.85 Kč 39.96

16.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$16.44 Kč 355

-49.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.86 Kč 40.18

-27.42%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$31.5K Kč 680.6K

10.46%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$30.1K Kč 651.7K

15.10%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$299 Kč 6,474

-44.33%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$22.74 Kč 492

-40.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$18.72 Kč 405

55.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$54.6 Kč 1,181

-17.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$17.30 Kč 374

-0.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$12.95 Kč 280

-46.18%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$726 Kč 15.7K

8.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$11.4K Kč 247.4K

-20.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$86.8 Kč 1,877

1.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$36.82 Kč 796

57.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$45.55 Kč 985

205.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$120 Kč 2,602

-17.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$360 Kč 7,792

185.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$318 Kč 6,886

94.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,210 Kč 26.2K

55.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$928 Kč 20.1K

8.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$4,620 Kč 99.9K

-13.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$3,448 Kč 74.6K

-50.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,146 Kč 24.8K

-42.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.67

134.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zatec: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Zatec

$318 25.9% 48.6% $301

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Zatec

$183 14.9% 38.4% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Zatec

$341 27.7% 62.8% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Zatec

$130 10.6% 24.6% $42

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Zatec

$140 11.4% 18.1% $31

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Zatec

$39 3.1% 59.5% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Zatec

$80 6.5% 36.3% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $360 in Zatec. 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 73% higher in Zatec, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $18.00 in Zatec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $183 – making Zatec the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇿 Zatec

🕒 Local time

07:32 7:32 AM

14:32 2:32 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

19,522

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 CZK = 4.62 USD

100 CZK = 4.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CZK, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 21.63 CZK (100 CZK = 4.62 USD). 1 EUR = 24.31 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Zatec 9,410 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Zatec

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 Zatec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,848 in Zatec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zatec, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $18.00 in Zatec. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $1,232 in Zatec. That's a gap of about 32%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zatec, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Zatec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zatec – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Zatec. 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.