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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $909 in Elbasan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,431 in Elbasan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,953 in Elbasan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 85% more than Elbasan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Elbasan is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.5K

$9.89 ALL 784

-18.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$38.18 ALL 3,026

25.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$6.97 ALL 553

41.89%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,941

$1.74 ALL 138

79.89%

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

$1.91 COP 6,061

$1.42 ALL 112

34.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,796

$0.70 ALL 55.7

115.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,921

$2.22 ALL 176

40.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$2.88 ALL 228

99.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,590

$1.98 ALL 157

-27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,898

$0.99 ALL 78.7

151.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,634

$1.62 ALL 128

9.26%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,400

$2.78 ALL 221

6.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$10.41 ALL 825

-3.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$5.95 ALL 472

70.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$11.51 ALL 912

24.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$1.27 ALL 101

225.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,109

$2.26 ALL 179

-28.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,132

$1.42 ALL 112

58.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,154

$1.12 ALL 88.7

100.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,489

$1.05 ALL 83.4

94.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,876

$1.07 ALL 84.6

43.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,716

$0.81 ALL 63.8

44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,150

$0.67 ALL 53.1

95.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$4.53 ALL 359

-13.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$8.20 ALL 650

70.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,536

$1.08 ALL 85.7

61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,116

$1.88 ALL 149

52.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,860

$0.48 ALL 38.21

154.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.6K

$20.37 ALL 1,614

295.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,157

$3.80 ALL 301

-65.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,947

$1.54 ALL 122

42.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$15.22 ALL 1,207

-42.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,336

$2.18 ALL 173

-37.16%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$30.3K ALL 2.4M

-8.10%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$30.5K ALL 2.4M

17.16%

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

$177 COP 563.1K

$61.7 ALL 4,890

187.36%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$15.59 ALL 1,236

-10.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$12.04 ALL 954

146.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.6K

$59.9 ALL 4,746

-25.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$17.30 ALL 1,371

-1.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$4.33 ALL 343

53.58%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$147 ALL 11.7K

451.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$1,867 ALL 148.0K

391.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.3K

$76.5 ALL 6,058

17.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.3K

$45.86 ALL 3,635

28.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 439.0K

$97.8 ALL 7,749

41.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.4K

$98.5 ALL 7,808

3.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$306 ALL 24.2K

247.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$206 ALL 16.3K

222.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$445 ALL 35.3K

324.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$324 ALL 25.7K

216.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$1,392 ALL 110.3K

200.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$895 ALL 70.9K

87.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

$559 ALL 44.3K

21.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.1

79.34%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $306 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 21% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $38.00 in Elbasan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $216 – making Elbasan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 85%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,364 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.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $38.00 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 $909, than in Medellin at $1,681. 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.