Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bitola Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bitola

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $875 in Bitola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,310 in Bitola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,746 in Bitola.

Living in Medellin is roughly 88% more expensive than in Bitola, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Bitola is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$5.34 MKD 282

50.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$28.66 MKD 1,514

68.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.37 MKD 284

75.42%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.01 MKD 106

46.27%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.81 MKD 95.7

2.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.50 MKD 79.3

-2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.22 MKD 117

44.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.70 MKD 143

111.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.41 MKD 74.7

2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.72 MKD 37.92

233.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.71 MKD 90.3

-0.58%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.05 MKD 108

40.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$10.26 MKD 542

-1.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$7.38 MKD 390

35.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$13.43 MKD 710

5.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.07 MKD 56.7

271.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.46 MKD 77.1

8.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.24 MKD 65.7

73.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.61 MKD 85.3

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.98 MKD 51.7

104.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.34 MKD 70.9

12.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.55 MKD 29.08

118.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.55 MKD 28.93

132.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.08 MKD 163

24.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$5.98 MKD 316

134.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.03 MKD 54.3

66.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.90 MKD 100

44.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.54 MKD 28.72

131.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$16.81 MKD 888

363.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.11 MKD 58.6

18.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.64 MKD 33.79

239.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$6.75 MKD 356

22.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.49 MKD 78.6

-8.72%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

-13.88%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$34.6K MKD 1.8M

5.75%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$152 MKD 8,007

11.32%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$14.63 MKD 773

-7.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$13.36 MKD 706

111.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$22.77 MKD 1,203

100.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$6.72 MKD 355

156.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.66 MKD 246

42.70%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$218 MKD 11.5K

269.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$1,220 MKD 64.5K

653.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$75.9 MKD 4,009

15.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$47.87 MKD 2,529

24.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$74.0 MKD 3,912

87.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$113 MKD 5,944

-9.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$270 MKD 14.3K

296.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$198 MKD 10.4K

230.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$406 MKD 21.5K

373.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$304 MKD 16.0K

245.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,728 MKD 91.3K

138.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,200 MKD 63.4K

41.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$792 MKD 41.8K

-17.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.45

69.61%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bitola: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $270 in Bitola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bitola pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $29.00 in Bitola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $207 per month, with Bitola 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

Medellin vs Bitola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Bitola differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $875 including rent). Bitola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Bitola. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $270 in Bitola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bitola – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $875 in Bitola versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bitola but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bitola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bitola are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bitola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.