Cost of Living Comparison Between Durres and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Durres and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,036 in Durres versus $1,028 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Durres versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,151 in Durres versus $2,144 in Medellin.

Living in Durres is roughly 1% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Durres 22% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.24 ALL 753

$6.00 COP 20.6K

54.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.65 ALL 2,824

$32.84 COP 112.5K

5.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 ALL 581

$7.42 COP 25.4K

-3.91%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ALL 151

$1.65 COP 5,659

12.73%

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

$1.63 ALL 133

$1.07 COP 3,663

52.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ALL 69.1

$0.76 COP 2,607

11.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ALL 195

$1.72 COP 5,908

38.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ALL 264

$3.20 COP 11.0K

1.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ALL 165

$1.05 COP 3,597

92.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ALL 71.2

$1.31 COP 4,479

-33.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 ALL 161

$1.34 COP 4,591

47.01%

Eggs

$2.92 ALL 238

$2.19 COP 7,521

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ALL 860

$4.41 COP 15.1K

139.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 ALL 630

$5.69 COP 19.5K

35.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 ALL 1,075

$8.52 COP 29.2K

54.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 ALL 94.9

$2.34 COP 8,023

-50.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ALL 192

$1.11 COP 3,804

111.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 ALL 105

$1.52 COP 5,210

-15.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ALL 95.0

$1.37 COP 4,680

-14.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 ALL 92.2

$1.15 COP 3,950

-1.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 ALL 83.3

$1.18 COP 4,043

-13.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ALL 92.2

$0.84 COP 2,885

34.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ALL 50.8

$0.86 COP 2,931

-27.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 ALL 327

$2.26 COP 7,753

77.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 ALL 890

$11.60 COP 39.8K

-5.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ALL 137

$1.20 COP 4,109

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ALL 144

$2.48 COP 8,484

-28.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 39.89

$0.79 COP 2,721

-37.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.48 ALL 1,506

$40.83 COP 139.9K

-54.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 ALL 282

$1.47 COP 5,023

136.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 ALL 175

$1.92 COP 6,568

11.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.84 ALL 1,454

$7.77 COP 26.6K

129.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 ALL 176

$1.01 COP 3,464

113.86%

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

$15.1K ALL 1.2M

$17.7K COP 60.5M

-14.59%

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

$25.6K ALL 2.1M

$26.5K COP 90.7M

-3.26%

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

$66.1 ALL 5,384

$81.1 COP 277.9K

-18.55%

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

$17.65 ALL 1,438

$9.43 COP 32.3K

87.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.01 ALL 1,305

$23.86 COP 81.8K

-32.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.01 ALL 3,016

$25.99 COP 89.1K

42.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.7 ALL 4,784

$18.71 COP 64.1K

213.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 ALL 585

$4.09 COP 14.0K

75.55%

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

$177 ALL 14.5K

$315 COP 1.1M

-43.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,338 ALL 353.6K

$6,022 COP 20.6M

-27.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.20 ALL 3,113

$59.7 COP 204.6K

-36.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.03 ALL 3,181

$31.97 COP 109.6K

22.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 ALL 7,009

$101 COP 346.9K

-15.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 ALL 12.4K

$105 COP 360.3K

45.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 ALL 33.9K

$485 COP 1.7M

-14.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ALL 25.5K

$365 COP 1.3M

-14.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ALL 49.9K

$827 COP 2.8M

-25.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 ALL 35.6K

$730 COP 2.5M

-40.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,782 ALL 145.3K

$2,992 COP 10.3M

-40.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,133 ALL 92.4K

$1,314 COP 4.5M

-13.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$846 ALL 68.9K

$551 COP 1.9M

53.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.43

-60.31%

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

Last update for Durres: June 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $416 in Durres and $485 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 54% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Durres vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $190 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Durres vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Durres. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Durres pays 54% 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: $416 in Durres versus $485 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,036 per month in Durres versus $1,028 in Medellin – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 121% less than in Durres. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,036 in Durres, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Durres. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,028 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Durres. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.