Cost of Living Comparison Between Kukes and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kukes and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $968 in Kukes versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,427 in Kukes versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,886 in Kukes versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Kukes costs roughly 5% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kukes 28% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.23 ALL 754

$5.95 COP 20.8K

55.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.73 ALL 3,083

$33.33 COP 116.3K

13.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.92 ALL 566

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-4.29%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ALL 159

$1.63 COP 5,687

19.63%

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

$1.60 ALL 131

$1.09 COP 3,821

46.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ALL 69.7

$0.73 COP 2,548

16.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ALL 196

$1.74 COP 6,065

37.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 ALL 263

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-0.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ALL 129

$1.05 COP 3,662

50.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ALL 70.2

$1.29 COP 4,515

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 ALL 165

$1.32 COP 4,617

53.03%

Eggs

$2.91 ALL 238

$2.27 COP 7,927

28.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 ALL 780

$4.35 COP 15.2K

119.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.94 ALL 567

$5.88 COP 20.5K

18.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 ALL 683

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-2.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ALL 97.5

$2.25 COP 7,844

-47.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 ALL 146

$1.07 COP 3,733

66.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ALL 79.1

$1.52 COP 5,322

-36.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 ALL 113

$1.42 COP 4,964

-2.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ALL 55.6

$1.17 COP 4,084

-41.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 ALL 66.1

$1.17 COP 4,077

-30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ALL 73.3

$0.89 COP 3,096

1.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ALL 59.9

$0.90 COP 3,146

-18.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 ALL 285

$2.25 COP 7,837

55.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.11 ALL 581

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-35.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ALL 73.9

$1.14 COP 3,977

-21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ALL 144

$2.38 COP 8,301

-26.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 40.12

$0.84 COP 2,916

-41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.49 ALL 1,511

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-55.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ALL 290

$1.41 COP 4,912

151.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 ALL 258

$1.90 COP 6,634

65.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 ALL 377

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-40.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 ALL 169

$1.01 COP 3,509

103.96%

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

$34.5K ALL 2.8M

$17.6K COP 61.4M

96.27%

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

$25.1K ALL 2.1M

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-5.15%

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

$68.3 ALL 5,577

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-18.42%

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

$17.68 ALL 1,445

$9.45 COP 33.0K

87.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.01 ALL 1,308

$24.11 COP 84.1K

-33.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 ALL 4,583

$25.31 COP 88.3K

121.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ALL 2,058

$19.14 COP 66.8K

31.61%

Cinema Ticket

$3.56 ALL 291

$4.10 COP 14.3K

-13.17%

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

$93.6 ALL 7,647

$312 COP 1.1M

-69.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.62 ALL 2,829

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-40.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.66 ALL 1,933

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-27.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.28 ALL 3,373

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-58.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.13 ALL 4,014

$109 COP 378.8K

-54.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 ALL 37.4K

$482 COP 1.7M

-5.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 ALL 27.9K

$379 COP 1.3M

-10.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ALL 50.9K

$837 COP 2.9M

-25.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 ALL 36.0K

$723 COP 2.5M

-39.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,933 ALL 157.9K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-31.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,332 ALL 108.8K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

8.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$535 ALL 43.7K

$541 COP 1.9M

-1.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-70.22%

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

Last update for Kukes: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Kukes and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 1% 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: $38.00 in Kukes vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 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

Kukes vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kukes is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Medellin earns 1% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $458 in Kukes versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kukes runs roughly 127% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $93.6 in Kukes versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $968 in Kukes versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kukes but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kukes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kukes is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Kukes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.