Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elbasan and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Elbasan: $887 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Elbasan
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Elbasan Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Elbasan

🇦🇱 Albania

$887

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Elbasan and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Elbasan and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $887 per month in Elbasan vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Elbasan $887
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Elbasan vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Elbasan $1,399
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,912 per month in Elbasan vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Elbasan $1,912
Medellin $3,249

Elbasan is about 48% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Elbasan sits 34% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.95 ALL 802

$8.34 COP 26.8K

19.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.83 ALL 2,967

$46.53 COP 149.7K

-20.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.76 ALL 544

$9.47 COP 30.5K

-28.62%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ALL 138

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-45.05%

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

$1.40 ALL 113

$1.77 COP 5,681

-20.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ALL 52.7

$1.42 COP 4,582

-54.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ALL 172

$3.15 COP 10.1K

-32.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ALL 220

$5.70 COP 18.3K

-51.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ALL 153

$1.53 COP 4,930

24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ALL 75.4

$2.29 COP 7,370

-58.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ALL 127

$1.94 COP 6,257

-19.07%

Eggs

$2.60 ALL 210

$3.07 COP 9,864

-15.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 ALL 833

$9.99 COP 32.1K

3.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 ALL 476

$10.45 COP 33.6K

-43.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.30 ALL 910

$13.96 COP 44.9K

-19.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ALL 96.8

$4.05 COP 13.0K

-70.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ALL 182

$1.53 COP 4,916

47.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 ALL 112

$2.10 COP 6,769

-33.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ALL 91.6

$2.29 COP 7,378

-50.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 ALL 80.2

$2.11 COP 6,785

-52.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ALL 83.8

$1.71 COP 5,498

-39.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 ALL 66.6

$1.17 COP 3,764

-29.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ALL 53.5

$1.58 COP 5,083

-58.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 ALL 350

$3.91 COP 12.6K

11.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.10 ALL 492

$14.04 COP 45.2K

-56.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ALL 82.3

$1.76 COP 5,667

-42.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ALL 145

$2.71 COP 8,724

-33.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ALL 38.22

$1.18 COP 3,795

-60.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.64 ALL 1,583

$76.3 COP 245.4K

-74.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ALL 290

$1.81 COP 5,812

98.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 ALL 117

$2.13 COP 6,849

-31.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.57 ALL 1,174

$8.13 COP 26.2K

79.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 ALL 172

$1.28 COP 4,102

67.19%

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

$29.2K ALL 2.4M

$34.4K COP 110.8M

-15.18%

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

$29.3K ALL 2.4M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-14.24%

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

$61.7 ALL 4,971

$178 COP 571.7K

-65.29%

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

$15.34 ALL 1,236

$13.89 COP 44.7K

10.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.08 ALL 973

$30.74 COP 98.9K

-60.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 ALL 4,671

$41.94 COP 134.9K

38.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 ALL 1,372

$16.80 COP 54.0K

1.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 ALL 355

$7.47 COP 24.0K

-40.96%

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

$142 ALL 11.4K

$790 COP 2.5M

-82.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,886 ALL 151.9K

$12.3K COP 39.6M

-84.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 ALL 5,857

$86.3 COP 277.7K

-15.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.03 ALL 3,548

$59.3 COP 190.6K

-25.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 ALL 7,523

$138 COP 445.0K

-32.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 ALL 7,768

$98.8 COP 317.8K

-2.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 ALL 23.9K

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-77.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 ALL 16.8K

$667 COP 2.1M

-68.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 ALL 35.1K

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-77.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ALL 25.5K

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-69.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,377 ALL 111.0K

$4,098 COP 13.2M

-66.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$870 ALL 70.1K

$1,940 COP 6.2M

-55.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 ALL 50.4K

$646 COP 2.1M

-3.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

10.94

-44.24%

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

Last update for Elbasan: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Elbasan

$208 23.5%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 220% $459

Groceries & Markets

Elbasan

$208 23.4%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 48.1% $100

Eating Out

Elbasan

$145 16.3%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 19.2% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Elbasan

$138 15.6%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 24.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elbasan

$89 10.1%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 150% $133

Sport & Entertainment

Elbasan

$67 7.5%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 14.8% $9.9

Getting Around

Elbasan

$32 3.7%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 189% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $297 in Elbasan versus $1,341 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 3% 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 $37 in Elbasan versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $307 – making Elbasan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Elbasan

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

23:39 11:39 PM

6 h behind Elbasan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,703

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Albanian Lek ALL L

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.11 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to ALL – Albanian Lek Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇱 Albanian Lek (L)

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 80.57 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.45 ALL (100 ALL = 1.11 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,217 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to ALL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Elbasan Medellin 10,020 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Elbasan
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 91%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,331 per month in Elbasan and $2,538 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $297 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Elbasan and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Elbasan, where all-in costs run around $887, than in Medellin at $1,692. 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.