Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Durres Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Durres

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,036 in Durres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,594 in Durres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $2,151 in Durres.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 1% less than in Durres, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Durres 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$9.24 ALL 753

-35.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$34.65 ALL 2,824

-5.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$7.13 ALL 581

4.07%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$1.86 ALL 151

-11.29%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$1.63 ALL 133

-34.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.85 ALL 69.1

-10.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$2.39 ALL 195

-28.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$3.24 ALL 264

-1.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$2.02 ALL 165

-48.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$0.87 ALL 71.2

50.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$1.97 ALL 161

-31.98%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$2.92 ALL 238

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$10.55 ALL 860

-58.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$7.73 ALL 630

-26.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$13.18 ALL 1,075

-35.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$1.16 ALL 94.9

101.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$2.35 ALL 192

-52.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$1.29 ALL 105

17.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$1.17 ALL 95.0

17.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$1.13 ALL 92.2

1.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$1.02 ALL 83.3

15.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$1.13 ALL 92.2

-25.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.62 ALL 50.8

38.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$4.01 ALL 327

-43.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$10.91 ALL 890

6.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$1.68 ALL 137

-28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$1.77 ALL 144

40.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$0.49 ALL 39.89

61.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

$18.48 ALL 1,506

120.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$3.47 ALL 282

-57.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$2.15 ALL 175

-10.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$17.84 ALL 1,454

-56.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$2.16 ALL 176

-53.24%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$15.1K ALL 1.2M

17.09%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$25.6K ALL 2.1M

3.37%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$66.1 ALL 5,384

22.77%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$17.65 ALL 1,438

-46.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$16.01 ALL 1,305

49.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$37.01 ALL 3,016

-29.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$58.7 ALL 4,784

-68.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$7.18 ALL 585

-43.04%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$177 ALL 14.5K

77.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$4,338 ALL 353.6K

38.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$38.20 ALL 3,113

56.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$39.03 ALL 3,181

-18.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$86.0 ALL 7,009

17.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$153 ALL 12.4K

-31.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$416 ALL 33.9K

16.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$313 ALL 25.5K

16.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$613 ALL 49.9K

34.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$436 ALL 35.6K

67.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$1,782 ALL 145.3K

67.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$1,133 ALL 92.4K

15.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$846 ALL 68.9K

-34.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.33

151.97%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Durres: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $416 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 54% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Durres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $240 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

Medellin vs Durres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Durres. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Durres earns 54% 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: $485 in Medellin versus $416 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,028 per month in Medellin versus $1,036 in Durres – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 121% less than in Durres. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,036 in Durres, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Durres. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,028 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Durres. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.