Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Durres

For one person, living is cheaper in Durres: $1,128 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Durres
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Durres Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Durres

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,128

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Durres

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 Durres actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,128 in Durres.

Medellin $1,639
Durres $1,128

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,732 in Durres.

Medellin $2,413
Durres $1,732

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,336 in Durres.

Medellin $3,186
Durres $2,336

Living in Medellin is roughly 45% more expensive than in Durres, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Durres is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$10.48 ALL 849

-22.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.8K

$37.19 ALL 3,013

26.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$10.37 ALL 840

-8.39%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,729

$2.07 ALL 168

45.41%

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

$1.80 COP 5,806

$2.12 ALL 172

-15.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,558

$1.07 ALL 86.9

31.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.06 ALL 248

3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$4.44 ALL 359

29.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,873

$2.08 ALL 168

-27.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,673

$1.03 ALL 83.4

131.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,716

$2.29 ALL 185

-22.71%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,327

$3.86 ALL 312

-25.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$12.69 ALL 1,028

-19.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$7.78 ALL 631

26.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$15.02 ALL 1,217

-6.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.20 ALL 97.4

230.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,009

$2.43 ALL 197

-36.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,044

$1.56 ALL 126

39.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$1.32 ALL 107

65.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,333

$0.90 ALL 73.1

117.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,129

$0.95 ALL 77.2

67.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$1.22 ALL 99.1

-5.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,012

$0.71 ALL 57.4

74.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.43 ALL 359

-10.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$10.99 ALL 890

24.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,356

$1.49 ALL 121

11.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,286

$2.08 ALL 169

8.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$0.48 ALL 38.50

143.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.7K

$19.58 ALL 1,586

295.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,092

$3.65 ALL 296

-65.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,608

$2.50 ALL 202

-18.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,346

$2.20 ALL 178

-38.64%

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

$34.1K COP 109.9M

$16.0K ALL 1.3M

112.38%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$25.6K ALL 2.1M

35.48%

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

$170 COP 547.5K

$90.2 ALL 7,310

88.00%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$18.02 ALL 1,460

-24.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$16.33 ALL 1,323

71.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.0K

$41.02 ALL 3,323

6.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$61.3 ALL 4,963

-71.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$7.52 ALL 610

-8.11%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$189 ALL 15.3K

321.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$4,673 ALL 378.6K

94.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.4K

$38.78 ALL 3,142

118.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.0K

$41.46 ALL 3,358

39.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.5K

$89.1 ALL 7,216

51.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.8K

$162 ALL 13.1K

-39.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$451 ALL 36.5K

168.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$321 ALL 26.0K

99.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$703 ALL 57.0K

188.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$463 ALL 37.5K

118.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,993 ALL 161.5K

109.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,302 ALL 105.5K

46.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$977 ALL 79.1K

-32.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.25

108.38%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Durres: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Durres

$321 28.5% 50% $320

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Durres

$263 23.3% 11.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Durres

$125 11.1% 41% $87

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Durres

$177 15.7% 4.2% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Durres

$149 13.2% 11.8% $20

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Durres

$38 3.3% 59.8% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Durres

$56 5% 2.5% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $451 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $37 in Durres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $263 per month, with Durres cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇱 Durres

🕒 Local time

00:27 12:27 AM

06:27 6:27 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

175,110

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

100 ALL = 1.23 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 81.01 ALL (100 ALL = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 90.8 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Durres 9,970 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Durres

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 Durres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durres wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Durres the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $451 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $1,128 in Durres – Durres is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 75% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Durres is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Durres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.