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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $892 in Bitola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,346 in Bitola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,800 in Bitola.

Living in Medellin is roughly 16% more expensive than Bitola, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Bitola 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$5.49 MKD 290

7.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$28.66 MKD 1,511

14.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$5.13 MKD 271

40.35%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.96 MKD 104

-13.27%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.79 MKD 94.4

-38.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$1.23 MKD 65.0

-41.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.29 MKD 121

-27.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.67 MKD 141

16.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.41 MKD 74.2

-24.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.68 MKD 36.10

83.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.71 MKD 90.2

-18.71%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.05 MKD 108

10.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$10.40 MKD 548

-58.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$7.38 MKD 389

-20.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$13.35 MKD 704

-33.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.02 MKD 53.9

119.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.38 MKD 72.6

-21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.27 MKD 66.9

20.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.55 MKD 81.9

-11.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.97 MKD 51.3

16.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.34 MKD 70.6

-16.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.57 MKD 30.22

49.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.54 MKD 28.22

68.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$3.04 MKD 160

-23.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$6.03 MKD 318

84.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$0.92 MKD 48.78

29.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.79 MKD 94.5

32.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.54 MKD 28.70

46.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$17.24 MKD 909

138.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.10 MKD 57.9

30.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.52 MKD 27.44

267.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$6.67 MKD 352

20.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.47 MKD 77.6

-36.05%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$31.8K MKD 1.7M

-43.60%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$33.2K MKD 1.8M

-19.31%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$148 MKD 7,782

-43.11%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$17.55 MKD 925

-45.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$15.32 MKD 808

57.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$24.06 MKD 1,269

7.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$6.70 MKD 353

184.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$4.77 MKD 252

-17.82%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$216 MKD 11.4K

42.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$1,195 MKD 63.0K

395.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$76.2 MKD 4,015

-23.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$48.40 MKD 2,552

-34.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$76.5 MKD 4,032

30.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$112 MKD 5,903

-4.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$284 MKD 15.0K

71.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$198 MKD 10.4K

85.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$592 MKD 31.2K

39.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$313 MKD 16.5K

128.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,796 MKD 94.7K

62.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,203 MKD 63.4K

16.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$788 MKD 41.6K

-30.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

7.1

89.15%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bitola: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $284 in Bitola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bitola pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $29.00 in Bitola. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $205, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 16% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $892 including rent). Bitola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bitola earns 45% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $284 in Bitola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Bitola – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $892 in Bitola versus $1,034 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 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.