Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Elbasan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Elbasan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $919 in Elbasan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,443 in Elbasan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $1,967 in Elbasan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 11% more than Elbasan, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Medellin and Elbasan are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Elbasan 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$9.64 ALL 787

-38.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$32.11 ALL 2,624

3.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$7.21 ALL 589

0.28%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.79 ALL 146

-8.94%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.29 ALL 105

-15.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.68 ALL 55.9

7.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.79 ALL 146

-2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.43 ALL 198

32.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.84 ALL 150

-42.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.93 ALL 76.3

38.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.56 ALL 128

-15.38%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$3.04 ALL 249

-25.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$10.05 ALL 821

-56.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$5.21 ALL 426

12.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$12.14 ALL 992

-29.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$0.85 ALL 69.5

164.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$2.48 ALL 202

-56.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.25 ALL 102

21.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.97 ALL 79.0

46.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.96 ALL 78.1

21.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.09 ALL 88.8

7.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.90 ALL 73.5

-1.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.57 ALL 46.46

57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$3.96 ALL 323

-43.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$7.70 ALL 629

43.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$0.90 ALL 73.6

26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.50 ALL 123

58.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.48 ALL 39.39

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$19.18 ALL 1,567

118.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$3.46 ALL 283

-59.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.24 ALL 101

53.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$13.90 ALL 1,136

-44.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$2.11 ALL 172

-52.13%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$21.0K ALL 1.7M

-16.42%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$27.2K ALL 2.2M

-2.44%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$68.5 ALL 5,596

22.18%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$17.59 ALL 1,437

-46.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$15.13 ALL 1,236

59.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$66.0 ALL 5,392

-61.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$16.22 ALL 1,325

18.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$5.74 ALL 469

-28.57%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$142 ALL 11.6K

119.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$1,761 ALL 143.9K

240.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$46.55 ALL 3,804

24.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$34.60 ALL 2,827

-5.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$93.6 ALL 7,650

6.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$177 ALL 14.5K

-38.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$284 ALL 23.2K

69.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$196 ALL 16.0K

93.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$423 ALL 34.5K

98.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$296 ALL 24.2K

144.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,350 ALL 110.3K

110.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$862 ALL 70.5K

41.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$536 ALL 43.8K

0.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.1

120.16%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $284 in Elbasan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $32.00 in Elbasan. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $206 in Elbasan – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Elbasan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 11%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,525 per month in Medellin and $1,378 in Elbasan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $32.00 in Elbasan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Elbasan, where all-in costs run around $919, than in Medellin at $1,017. In Elbasan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Elbasan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Elbasan. 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.