Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zadar and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,683 in Zadar, rent and utilities included – about $530 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Zadar outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Zadar, Croatia
Medellin, Colombia
Zadar
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,683
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zadar and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zadar and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,683 per month in Zadar vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Zadar $1,683
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,565 per month in Zadar vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Zadar $2,565
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,446 per month in Zadar vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Zadar $3,446
  • Medellin $3,186

Zadar costs about 3% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zadar and Medellin sit above the global median – Zadar by 24%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zadar
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.50 €12.99
$8.09 COP 26.1K
79.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.7 €71.4
$47.05 COP 151.7K
69.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.05 €7.21
$9.50 COP 30.6K
-15.26%
Cappuccino
$2.51 €2.25
$3.01 COP 9,722
-16.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 €2.70
$1.80 COP 5,801
67.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.88
$1.41 COP 4,554
48.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 €3.08
$3.18 COP 10.2K
8.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 €3.90
$5.75 COP 18.5K
-24.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zadar
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 €1.06
$1.51 COP 4,869
-21.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 €1.54
$2.38 COP 7,667
-27.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.00 €2.69
$1.77 COP 5,712
69.49%
Eggs
$3.92 €3.51
$2.89 COP 9,320
35.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.87 €9.74
$10.19 COP 32.9K
6.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.63 €8.62
$9.87 COP 31.8K
-2.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.69 €10.47
$13.99 COP 45.1K
-16.44%
Apples (1kg)
$1.88 €1.68
$3.97 COP 12.8K
-52.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.58 €1.42
$1.55 COP 5,005
1.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 €1.94
$2.18 COP 7,039
-0.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.30
$2.18 COP 7,041
17.89%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 €2.03
$1.96 COP 6,328
15.31%
Onion (1kg)
$1.30 €1.17
$1.59 COP 5,125
-18.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.15 COP 3,694
14.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.24 COP 4,009
-3.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.53 €4.95
$3.96 COP 12.8K
39.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.95 €7.12
$13.68 COP 44.1K
-41.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 €1.28
$1.66 COP 5,352
-13.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.27
$2.26 COP 7,281
-37.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Zadar
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.81 €1.62
$1.17 COP 3,766
54.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.27 €39.65
$77.4 COP 249.5K
-42.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.27 €2.93
$1.27 COP 4,089
157.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.27 €2.03
$2.05 COP 6,603
10.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.15 €19.83
$8.55 COP 27.6K
159.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.35 COP 4,343
37.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.8K €23.1K
$34.1K COP 109.8M
-24.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K €21.9K
$34.7K COP 111.8M
-29.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zadar
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$179 €160
$170 COP 547.0K
5.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.76 €19.48
$13.55 COP 43.7K
60.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.49 €35.36
$28.07 COP 90.5K
40.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zadar
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.85 €36.59
$43.70 COP 140.9K
-6.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.53 €14.81
$17.19 COP 55.4K
-3.84%
Cinema Ticket
$10.80 €9.67
$6.91 COP 22.3K
56.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zadar
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$246 €220
$797 COP 2.6M
-69.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,722 €6,020
$9,112 COP 29.4M
-26.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zadar
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €79.5
$84.7 COP 273.2K
4.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.75 €32.01
$58.0 COP 186.9K
-38.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €91.8
$135 COP 435.2K
-24.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.0 €69.0
$97.9 COP 315.6K
-21.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zadar
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$877 €785
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-27.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$694 €621
$642 COP 2.1M
8.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,461 €1,309
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-27.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,146 €1,026
$1,012 COP 3.3M
13.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,679 €4,191
$4,170 COP 13.4M
12.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,010 €3,591
$1,910 COP 6.2M
109.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zadar
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,407 €1,260
$657 COP 2.1M
114.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.54
10.94
-67.64%

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

Last update for Zadar: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Zadar
$694
Medellin
$642 7.5% $52
Groceries & Markets
Zadar
$268
Medellin
$297 10.9% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zadar
$240
Medellin
$211 11.9% $29
Eating Out
Zadar
$217
Medellin
$170 21.7% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Zadar
$137
Medellin
$169 23.5% $32
Getting Around
Zadar
$66
Medellin
$94 41.5% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Zadar
$62
Medellin
$58 7.9% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $877 in Zadar versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Zadar are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Zadar versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Zadar vs $297 in Medellin – so Zadar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇭🇷 Zadar
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
13:06 1:06 PM
07:06 7:06 AM
6 h behind Zadar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,309
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zadar Medellin 9,590 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Zadar
  • Medellin

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
Zadar vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Zadar?
Yes – Zadar is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,525 per month in Zadar and $2,459 in Medellin. 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 Zadar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $877 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Zadar or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Zadar and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Zadar and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,683 in Zadar and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 3% cheaper.
Is $2,500 enough for either Zadar or Medellin?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,683 in Zadar and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city suits remote workers better?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $1,683 in Zadar. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zadar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Zadar vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?