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: $1,043 in Durres versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Durres versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,103 in Durres versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Durres is roughly 4% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Durres 22% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.48 ALL 766

$5.91 COP 19.1K

60.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.56 ALL 2,874

$32.96 COP 106.5K

7.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 ALL 587

$7.43 COP 24.0K

-2.15%

Cappuccino

$1.96 ALL 158

$1.65 COP 5,343

18.79%

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

$1.58 ALL 127

$1.10 COP 3,559

43.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ALL 63.7

$0.78 COP 2,523

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ALL 196

$1.72 COP 5,553

41.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ALL 270

$3.18 COP 10.3K

5.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ALL 165

$1.10 COP 3,565

86.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ALL 74.0

$1.26 COP 4,066

-26.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ALL 163

$1.38 COP 4,463

45.65%

Eggs

$3.01 ALL 243

$2.18 COP 7,038

38.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ALL 847

$4.49 COP 14.5K

133.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.64 ALL 618

$5.79 COP 18.7K

31.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 ALL 1,061

$8.97 COP 29.0K

46.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 ALL 93.6

$2.32 COP 7,499

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 ALL 197

$1.06 COP 3,440

130.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ALL 104

$1.52 COP 4,899

-15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ALL 92.6

$1.36 COP 4,381

-15.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 ALL 88.8

$1.13 COP 3,645

-2.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ALL 80.2

$1.17 COP 3,785

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ALL 92.8

$0.90 COP 2,912

27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ALL 50.5

$0.90 COP 2,897

-31.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ALL 333

$2.23 COP 7,218

84.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.00 ALL 889

$12.12 COP 39.2K

-9.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ALL 134

$1.19 COP 3,841

39.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ALL 147

$2.48 COP 8,020

-26.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 39.77

$0.85 COP 2,758

-42.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.09 ALL 1,461

$41.62 COP 134.5K

-56.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ALL 291

$1.42 COP 4,575

153.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 ALL 171

$1.95 COP 6,302

8.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.45 ALL 1,410

$7.89 COP 25.5K

121.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ALL 170

$0.99 COP 3,200

113.13%

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

$15.4K ALL 1.2M

$17.6K COP 56.9M

-12.24%

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

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

$26.8K COP 86.6M

-4.05%

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

$68.3 ALL 5,516

$83.0 COP 268.2K

-17.76%

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

$17.80 ALL 1,439

$9.70 COP 31.3K

83.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.74 ALL 1,272

$23.52 COP 76.0K

-33.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.70 ALL 3,046

$25.26 COP 81.6K

49.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.9 ALL 4,758

$19.10 COP 61.7K

208.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.03 ALL 568

$3.95 COP 12.8K

77.97%

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

$174 ALL 14.1K

$316 COP 1.0M

-44.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,370 ALL 353.1K

$5,975 COP 19.3M

-26.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.89 ALL 3,142

$60.0 COP 193.8K

-35.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 ALL 3,216

$31.82 COP 102.8K

25.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 ALL 6,906

$102 COP 328.5K

-15.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 ALL 12.7K

$107 COP 347.2K

46.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 ALL 33.6K

$475 COP 1.5M

-12.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ALL 26.0K

$374 COP 1.2M

-14.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 ALL 47.9K

$849 COP 2.7M

-30.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 ALL 34.2K

$719 COP 2.3M

-41.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,792 ALL 144.8K

$3,265 COP 10.5M

-45.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,156 ALL 93.4K

$1,441 COP 4.7M

-19.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$949 ALL 76.7K

$624 COP 2.0M

52.04%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $415 in Durres and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 52% 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: $36.00 in Durres vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $193 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 4% 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.

Average pay runs 52% higher in Durres, 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: $415 in Durres versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,043 per month in Durres versus $1,003 in Medellin – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 130% less than in Durres. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,043 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 $1,003 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 4% less than in Durres. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.