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: $1,053 in Durres versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,608 in Durres versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,163 in Durres versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Durres is roughly 2% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Durres 21% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.39 ALL 767

$5.92 COP 21.4K

58.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.05 ALL 2,862

$32.75 COP 118.2K

7.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 ALL 586

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-0.28%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ALL 157

$1.70 COP 6,140

12.94%

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

$1.62 ALL 132

$1.10 COP 3,966

47.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ALL 68.3

$0.72 COP 2,605

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ALL 191

$1.67 COP 6,022

40.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ALL 275

$3.10 COP 11.2K

8.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ALL 165

$1.06 COP 3,809

90.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ALL 70.6

$1.25 COP 4,497

-31.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 ALL 158

$1.39 COP 5,022

38.85%

Eggs

$2.94 ALL 240

$2.26 COP 8,168

30.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ALL 851

$4.33 COP 15.6K

140.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 ALL 635

$5.84 COP 21.1K

33.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 ALL 1,076

$8.83 COP 31.9K

49.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ALL 97.5

$2.24 COP 8,099

-46.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 ALL 191

$1.08 COP 3,882

116.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ALL 106

$1.53 COP 5,522

-15.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ALL 93.5

$1.37 COP 4,950

-16.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 ALL 90.4

$1.13 COP 4,078

-1.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ALL 80.5

$1.12 COP 4,036

-11.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ALL 92.6

$0.85 COP 3,057

32.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ALL 50.7

$0.91 COP 3,281

-31.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ALL 326

$2.33 COP 8,414

71.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 ALL 920

$11.13 COP 40.2K

1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ALL 137

$1.19 COP 4,309

41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ALL 143

$2.37 COP 8,553

-26.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ALL 36.74

$0.79 COP 2,838

-43.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.03 ALL 1,472

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-56.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ALL 292

$1.44 COP 5,184

147.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 ALL 174

$1.91 COP 6,901

11.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.76 ALL 1,450

$8.02 COP 28.9K

121.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 ALL 180

$0.94 COP 3,385

135.11%

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

$15.4K ALL 1.3M

$17.9K COP 64.7M

-14.07%

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

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-3.90%

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

$66.3 ALL 5,414

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-21.02%

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

$17.73 ALL 1,447

$9.60 COP 34.7K

84.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.07 ALL 1,312

$24.16 COP 87.2K

-33.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.33 ALL 3,048

$25.88 COP 93.4K

44.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.1 ALL 4,903

$19.04 COP 68.7K

215.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.26 ALL 593

$3.92 COP 14.1K

85.20%

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

$180 ALL 14.7K

$306 COP 1.1M

-41.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,417 ALL 360.6K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

-25.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.32 ALL 3,128

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-33.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 ALL 3,251

$31.82 COP 114.9K

25.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 ALL 6,856

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-15.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 ALL 12.5K

$107 COP 386.8K

43.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 ALL 34.8K

$487 COP 1.8M

-12.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 ALL 25.8K

$368 COP 1.3M

-14.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ALL 48.9K

$826 COP 3.0M

-27.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 ALL 34.5K

$716 COP 2.6M

-41.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,824 ALL 149.0K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-37.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,142 ALL 93.2K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-18.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$844 ALL 68.9K

$546 COP 2.0M

54.80%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Durres and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 55% 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 $241 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 2% 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 55% 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: $426 in Durres versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,053 per month in Durres versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 128% less than in Durres. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,053 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 $1,034 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 2% less than in Durres. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.