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: $1,179 in Durres versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,788 in Durres versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,396 in Durres versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Durres costs roughly 30% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Durres is 14% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.60 ALL 840

$8.02 COP 25.3K

32.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.30 ALL 3,037

$47.87 COP 151.0K

-19.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 ALL 833

$9.89 COP 31.2K

6.17%

Cappuccino

$2.08 ALL 165

$3.13 COP 9,873

-33.55%

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

$2.05 ALL 162

$1.91 COP 6,019

7.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 ALL 81.5

$1.51 COP 4,763

-31.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ALL 248

$3.12 COP 9,853

0.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 ALL 357

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-21.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ALL 175

$1.44 COP 4,558

52.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ALL 86.8

$2.49 COP 7,843

-56.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 ALL 189

$1.77 COP 5,595

34.46%

Eggs

$3.97 ALL 315

$2.96 COP 9,336

34.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.95 ALL 1,027

$10.07 COP 31.8K

28.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.93 ALL 629

$10.12 COP 31.9K

-21.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.04 ALL 1,193

$14.30 COP 45.1K

5.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 ALL 93.5

$4.14 COP 13.0K

-71.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ALL 194

$1.61 COP 5,073

52.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 ALL 126

$2.25 COP 7,083

-29.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ALL 106

$2.25 COP 7,104

-40.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ALL 69.2

$2.04 COP 6,444

-57.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 ALL 76.1

$1.54 COP 4,842

-37.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ALL 101

$1.17 COP 3,691

8.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ALL 57.0

$1.31 COP 4,121

-45.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ALL 351

$3.90 COP 12.3K

13.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 ALL 907

$14.01 COP 44.2K

-18.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 ALL 120

$1.74 COP 5,498

-12.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ALL 166

$2.87 COP 9,053

-27.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 ALL 41.43

$1.22 COP 3,834

-57.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.12 ALL 1,516

$80.5 COP 253.9K

-76.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 ALL 300

$1.31 COP 4,129

189.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 ALL 202

$2.19 COP 6,899

16.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 ALL 179

$1.37 COP 4,306

64.96%

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

$16.1K ALL 1.3M

$27.8K COP 87.8M

-42.22%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

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

$98.0 ALL 7,773

$177 COP 559.3K

-44.70%

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

$17.04 ALL 1,351

$13.88 COP 43.8K

22.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.04 ALL 1,351

$29.72 COP 93.8K

-42.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.99 ALL 3,329

$44.88 COP 141.6K

-6.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.9 ALL 4,907

$17.12 COP 54.0K

261.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ALL 595

$6.65 COP 21.0K

12.93%

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

$188 ALL 14.9K

$813 COP 2.6M

-76.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,691 ALL 372.0K

$9,187 COP 29.0M

-48.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.91 ALL 3,164

$89.5 COP 282.3K

-55.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.87 ALL 3,320

$59.0 COP 186.0K

-29.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 ALL 7,196

$138 COP 435.9K

-34.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 ALL 13.1K

$102 COP 322.1K

62.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ALL 36.4K

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-56.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 ALL 27.1K

$663 COP 2.1M

-48.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ALL 56.8K

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-62.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 ALL 37.4K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-54.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,835 ALL 145.5K

$4,183 COP 13.2M

-56.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,155 ALL 91.6K

$1,675 COP 5.3M

-31.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$969 ALL 76.8K

$678 COP 2.1M

42.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

10.94

-52.01%

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

Last update for Durres: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $459 in Durres and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Durres vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $305 per month, with Durres 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

Durres wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Durres the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 43% 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: $459 in Durres versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,179 per month in Durres versus $1,681 in Medellin – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 321% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,179 in Durres versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Durres but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Durres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Durres delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,179 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Durres hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Durres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.