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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,053 in Durres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,608 in Durres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $2,163 in Durres.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 2% less than in Durres, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Durres 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$9.39 ALL 767

-36.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$35.05 ALL 2,862

-6.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$7.18 ALL 586

0.28%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.92 ALL 157

-11.46%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.62 ALL 132

-32.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.84 ALL 68.3

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.34 ALL 191

-28.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.36 ALL 275

-7.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$2.02 ALL 165

-47.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.86 ALL 70.6

45.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.93 ALL 158

-27.98%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.94 ALL 240

-23.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$10.42 ALL 851

-58.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$7.78 ALL 635

-24.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$13.18 ALL 1,076

-33.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.19 ALL 97.5

88.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$2.34 ALL 191

-53.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.30 ALL 106

17.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.14 ALL 93.5

20.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.11 ALL 90.4

1.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.99 ALL 80.5

13.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.13 ALL 92.6

-24.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.62 ALL 50.7

46.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$3.99 ALL 326

-41.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$11.27 ALL 920

-1.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.68 ALL 137

-29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.75 ALL 143

35.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.45 ALL 36.74

75.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$18.03 ALL 1,472

128.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$3.57 ALL 292

-59.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$2.13 ALL 174

-10.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$17.76 ALL 1,450

-54.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$2.21 ALL 180

-57.47%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$15.4K ALL 1.3M

16.37%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

4.06%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$66.3 ALL 5,414

26.62%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$17.73 ALL 1,447

-45.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$16.07 ALL 1,312

50.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$37.33 ALL 3,048

-30.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$60.1 ALL 4,903

-68.29%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$7.26 ALL 593

-46.01%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$180 ALL 14.7K

70.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$4,417 ALL 360.6K

34.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$38.32 ALL 3,128

51.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$39.82 ALL 3,251

-20.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$84.0 ALL 6,856

18.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$153 ALL 12.5K

-30.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$426 ALL 34.8K

14.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$316 ALL 25.8K

16.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$598 ALL 48.9K

37.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$422 ALL 34.5K

69.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,824 ALL 149.0K

60.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,142 ALL 93.2K

23.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$844 ALL 68.9K

-35.40%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Durres: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $426 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 55% 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 $241 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 2% 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 55% 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 $426 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $1,053 in Durres – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 128% less than in Durres. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,053 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 $1,034 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 2% less than in Durres. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.