Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Burrel

For one person, living is cheaper in Burrel: $1,101 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Burrel
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Burrel Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Burrel

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,101

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Burrel

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,101 in Burrel, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Burrel $1,101

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,699 in Burrel, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Burrel $1,699

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $2,297 in Burrel, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Burrel $2,297

Medellin costs about 44% more than Burrel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Burrel is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.6K

$9.83 ALL 804

-18.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.7K

$39.15 ALL 3,201

18.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$7.47 ALL 610

26.24%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,300

$1.97 ALL 161

47.72%

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

$1.75 COP 5,599

$1.87 ALL 153

-6.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,229

$0.69 ALL 56.6

91.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,993

$2.54 ALL 208

23.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$3.42 ALL 279

62.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,506

$1.93 ALL 158

-26.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,796

$0.92 ALL 75.6

165.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,204

$2.13 ALL 174

-23.47%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,012

$2.68 ALL 219

5.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.0K

$10.07 ALL 823

-3.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.8K

$8.81 ALL 720

5.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.0K

$14.17 ALL 1,159

-5.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$2.04 ALL 167

96.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,730

$2.29 ALL 187

-35.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,785

$1.65 ALL 135

28.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,196

$1.61 ALL 131

39.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,107

$1.08 ALL 88.5

76.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,173

$1.23 ALL 101

31.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,667

$1.15 ALL 94.2

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,031

$0.84 ALL 68.7

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$4.35 ALL 355

-12.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.9K

$9.70 ALL 793

35.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,096

$1.76 ALL 144

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,206

$1.80 ALL 147

25.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,740

$0.47 ALL 38.50

148.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.6K

$20.08 ALL 1,642

273.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,066

$3.74 ALL 306

-66.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,548

$3.79 ALL 310

-45.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.2K

$18.76 ALL 1,534

-56.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$2.15 ALL 175

-40.93%

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

$26.8K COP 85.5M

$33.9K ALL 2.8M

-21.02%

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

$34.4K COP 109.9M

$25.3K ALL 2.1M

36.24%

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

$162 COP 518.2K

$60.9 ALL 4,982

166.22%

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

$13.12 COP 41.9K

$16.33 ALL 1,335

-19.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.7K

$12.48 ALL 1,020

125.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.6K

$56.1 ALL 4,590

-21.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.2K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$8.44 ALL 690

-27.84%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$99.0 ALL 8,094

672.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 271.4K

$48.66 ALL 3,978

74.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.6K

$55.5 ALL 4,538

3.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 420.9K

$97.2 ALL 7,943

35.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.9K

$149 ALL 12.2K

-35.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$479 ALL 39.1K

114.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$329 ALL 26.9K

83.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$710 ALL 58.0K

153.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$473 ALL 38.6K

110.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$1,834 ALL 150.0K

113.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$1,224 ALL 100.0K

33.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

118.80%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Burrel: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Burrel

$329 29.8% 45.6% $275

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Burrel

$255 23.1% 11.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Burrel

$90 8.1% 55.9% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Burrel

$158 14.3% 5.2% $8.7

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Burrel

$154 14% 7.2% $12

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Burrel

$45 4% 51.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Burrel

$73 6.6% 29.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $479 in Burrel. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $39.00 in Burrel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $255 – making Burrel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇱 Burrel

🕒 Local time

02:53 2:53 AM

09:53 9:53 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

10,862

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.13 USD

10,000 COP = 2.79 EUR

100 ALL = 1.22 USD

100 ALL = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,194 COP (10,000 COP = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 3,580 COP (10,000 COP = 2.79 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 81.76 ALL (100 ALL = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 91.63 ALL (100 ALL = 1.09 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Burrel 10,010 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Burrel

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

Medellin vs Burrel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 44% more than Burrel, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,651 in Burrel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $764 per month in Medellin and $99.0 in Burrel. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Burrel, where all-in costs run around $1,101, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Burrel it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Burrel costs $1,101 versus $1,589 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Burrel. 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.