Cost of Living Comparison Between Bitola and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Bitola and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $892 in Bitola versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,346 in Bitola versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,800 in Bitola versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Bitola costs roughly 14% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bitola 33% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.49 MKD 290

$5.92 COP 21.4K

-7.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.66 MKD 1,511

$32.75 COP 118.2K

-12.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 MKD 271

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-28.75%

Cappuccino

$1.96 MKD 104

$1.70 COP 6,140

15.29%

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

$1.79 MKD 94.4

$1.10 COP 3,966

62.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 MKD 65.0

$0.72 COP 2,605

70.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 MKD 121

$1.67 COP 6,022

37.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MKD 141

$3.10 COP 11.2K

-13.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MKD 74.2

$1.06 COP 3,809

33.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 MKD 36.10

$1.25 COP 4,497

-45.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MKD 90.2

$1.39 COP 5,022

23.02%

Eggs

$2.05 MKD 108

$2.26 COP 8,168

-9.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 MKD 548

$4.33 COP 15.6K

140.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.38 MKD 389

$5.84 COP 21.1K

26.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.35 MKD 704

$8.83 COP 31.9K

51.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 MKD 53.9

$2.24 COP 8,099

-54.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MKD 72.6

$1.08 COP 3,882

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 MKD 66.9

$1.53 COP 5,522

-16.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 MKD 81.9

$1.37 COP 4,950

13.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 MKD 51.3

$1.13 COP 4,078

-14.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MKD 70.6

$1.12 COP 4,036

19.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 MKD 30.22

$0.85 COP 3,057

-32.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MKD 28.22

$0.91 COP 3,281

-40.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 MKD 160

$2.33 COP 8,414

30.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 MKD 318

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-45.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MKD 48.78

$1.19 COP 4,309

-22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 MKD 94.5

$2.37 COP 8,553

-24.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MKD 28.70

$0.79 COP 2,838

-31.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.24 MKD 909

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-58.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MKD 57.9

$1.44 COP 5,184

-23.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MKD 27.44

$1.91 COP 6,901

-72.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 MKD 352

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-16.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MKD 77.6

$0.94 COP 3,385

56.38%

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

$31.8K MKD 1.7M

$17.9K COP 64.7M

77.32%

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

$33.2K MKD 1.8M

$26.8K COP 96.7M

23.93%

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

$148 MKD 7,782

$84.0 COP 303.1K

75.79%

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

$17.55 MKD 925

$9.60 COP 34.7K

82.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 MKD 808

$24.16 COP 87.2K

-36.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.06 MKD 1,269

$25.88 COP 93.4K

-7.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.70 MKD 353

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-64.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.77 MKD 252

$3.92 COP 14.1K

21.68%

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

$216 MKD 11.4K

$306 COP 1.1M

-29.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,195 MKD 63.0K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

-79.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.2 MKD 4,015

$57.9 COP 209.1K

31.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.40 MKD 2,552

$31.82 COP 114.9K

52.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 MKD 4,032

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-23.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 5,903

$107 COP 386.8K

4.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 MKD 15.0K

$487 COP 1.8M

-41.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 MKD 10.4K

$368 COP 1.3M

-46.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 MKD 31.2K

$826 COP 3.0M

-28.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 MKD 16.5K

$716 COP 2.6M

-56.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,796 MKD 94.7K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-38.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,203 MKD 63.4K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-14.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$788 MKD 41.6K

$546 COP 2.0M

44.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.1

13.43

-47.13%

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

Last update for Bitola: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $284 in Bitola and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bitola pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Bitola vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $190, with Medellin 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

Bitola vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bitola and Medellin differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($892 vs $1,034 including rent). Bitola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bitola pays 45% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $284 in Bitola versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Bitola – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $892 in Bitola versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bitola but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bitola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bitola and Medellin 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 Bitola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.