Cost of Living Comparison Between Elbasan and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Elbasan and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $919 per month in Elbasan vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,443 per month in Elbasan vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,967 per month in Elbasan vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Elbasan is about 10% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Elbasan and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Elbasan 32% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.64 ALL 787

$5.95 COP 20.8K

62.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.11 ALL 2,624

$33.33 COP 116.3K

-3.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 ALL 589

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-0.28%

Cappuccino

$1.79 ALL 146

$1.63 COP 5,687

9.82%

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

$1.29 ALL 105

$1.09 COP 3,821

18.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ALL 55.9

$0.73 COP 2,548

-6.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ALL 146

$1.74 COP 6,065

2.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ALL 198

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-24.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ALL 150

$1.05 COP 3,662

75.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ALL 76.3

$1.29 COP 4,515

-27.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ALL 128

$1.32 COP 4,617

18.18%

Eggs

$3.04 ALL 249

$2.27 COP 7,927

33.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 ALL 821

$4.35 COP 15.2K

131.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.21 ALL 426

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-11.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 ALL 992

$8.61 COP 30.0K

41.00%

Apples (1kg)

$0.85 ALL 69.5

$2.25 COP 7,844

-62.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 ALL 202

$1.07 COP 3,733

131.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 ALL 102

$1.52 COP 5,322

-17.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 ALL 79.0

$1.42 COP 4,964

-31.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 ALL 78.1

$1.17 COP 4,084

-17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ALL 88.8

$1.17 COP 4,077

-6.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ALL 73.5

$0.89 COP 3,096

1.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ALL 46.46

$0.90 COP 3,146

-36.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ALL 323

$2.25 COP 7,837

76.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.70 ALL 629

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-30.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ALL 73.6

$1.14 COP 3,977

-21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ALL 123

$2.38 COP 8,301

-36.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ALL 39.39

$0.84 COP 2,916

-42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 ALL 1,567

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-54.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 ALL 283

$1.41 COP 4,912

145.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 ALL 101

$1.90 COP 6,634

-34.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ALL 1,136

$7.75 COP 27.0K

79.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ALL 172

$1.01 COP 3,509

108.91%

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

$21.0K ALL 1.7M

$17.6K COP 61.4M

19.65%

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

$27.2K ALL 2.2M

$26.5K COP 92.5M

2.50%

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

$68.5 ALL 5,596

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-18.15%

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

$17.59 ALL 1,437

$9.45 COP 33.0K

86.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.13 ALL 1,236

$24.11 COP 84.1K

-37.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.0 ALL 5,392

$25.31 COP 88.3K

160.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.22 ALL 1,325

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-15.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ALL 469

$4.10 COP 14.3K

40.00%

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

$142 ALL 11.6K

$312 COP 1.1M

-54.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,761 ALL 143.9K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-70.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.55 ALL 3,804

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-19.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.60 ALL 2,827

$32.56 COP 113.6K

6.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 ALL 7,650

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-6.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 ALL 14.5K

$109 COP 378.8K

63.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 ALL 23.2K

$482 COP 1.7M

-41.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ALL 16.0K

$379 COP 1.3M

-48.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ALL 34.5K

$837 COP 2.9M

-49.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 ALL 24.2K

$723 COP 2.5M

-59.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,350 ALL 110.3K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-52.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$862 ALL 70.5K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-29.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$536 ALL 43.8K

$541 COP 1.9M

-0.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

13.43

-54.58%

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

Last update for Elbasan: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $284 in Elbasan versus $482 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Elbasan versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $206 in Elbasan vs $190 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Elbasan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 11%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,378 per month in Elbasan and $1,525 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elbasan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Elbasan and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Elbasan, where all-in costs run around $919, than in Medellin at $1,017. In Elbasan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Elbasan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Elbasan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.