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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,179 in Durres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,788 in Durres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,396 in Durres.

Living in Medellin is roughly 42% more expensive than in Durres, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Durres is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$10.60 ALL 840

-24.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$38.30 ALL 3,037

24.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$10.50 ALL 833

-5.81%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.08 ALL 165

50.48%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$2.05 ALL 162

-6.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$1.03 ALL 81.5

46.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$3.13 ALL 248

-0.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.50 ALL 357

27.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$2.20 ALL 175

-34.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.09 ALL 86.8

128.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$2.38 ALL 189

-25.63%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$3.97 ALL 315

-25.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$12.95 ALL 1,027

-22.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$7.93 ALL 629

27.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$15.04 ALL 1,193

-4.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.18 ALL 93.5

250.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.45 ALL 194

-34.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.59 ALL 126

41.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.34 ALL 106

67.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.87 ALL 69.2

134.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.96 ALL 76.1

60.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.27 ALL 101

-7.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.72 ALL 57.0

81.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.43 ALL 351

-11.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$11.44 ALL 907

22.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.52 ALL 120

14.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.09 ALL 166

37.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.52 ALL 41.43

134.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$19.12 ALL 1,516

320.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.79 ALL 300

-65.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.55 ALL 202

-14.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$2.26 ALL 179

-39.38%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$16.1K ALL 1.3M

73.07%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$98.0 ALL 7,773

80.84%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$17.04 ALL 1,351

-18.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$17.04 ALL 1,351

74.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$41.99 ALL 3,329

6.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$61.9 ALL 4,907

-72.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$7.51 ALL 595

-11.45%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$188 ALL 14.9K

333.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$4,691 ALL 372.0K

95.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$39.91 ALL 3,164

124.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$41.87 ALL 3,320

40.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$90.8 ALL 7,196

52.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$166 ALL 13.1K

-38.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$459 ALL 36.4K

131.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$342 ALL 27.1K

94.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$716 ALL 56.8K

163.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$472 ALL 37.4K

117.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,835 ALL 145.5K

127.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,155 ALL 91.6K

44.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$969 ALL 76.8K

-30.06%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Durres: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $459 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Durres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $269 per month, with Durres 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

Durres wins on cost – living expenses run 42% 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 43% lower in Durres. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $459 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,179 in Durres – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 321% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,179 in Durres versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Durres but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Durres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Durres delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,179 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Durres hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Durres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.