Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gjilan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gjilan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $647 in Gjilan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,007 in Gjilan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,368 in Gjilan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 59% more expensive than in Gjilan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Gjilan 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$4.40 €3.85

40.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$20.06 €17.55

62.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.46 €4.78

34.43%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$1.43 €1.25

20.28%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.11 €0.97

-5.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.93 €0.81

-17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.42 €1.24

19.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.42 €1.24

123.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.31 €1.15

-19.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.47 €0.41

176.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.36 €1.19

2.94%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$1.51 €1.32

43.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$6.03 €5.27

-27.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.94 €4.32

19.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.36 €9.07

-16.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$1.20 €1.05

90.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$1.59 €1.39

-30.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.45 €1.27

5.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.20 €1.05

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.85 €0.74

32.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.83 €0.72

36.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.73 €0.64

16.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.53 €0.46

71.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$3.38 €2.95

-30.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$5.56 €4.87

122.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.89 €0.78

34.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.43 €1.25

74.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.60 €0.52

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$2.28 €1.99

-37.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.50 €0.44

284.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$5.83 €5.10

31.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.54 €1.35

-35.71%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$22.8K €20.0K

-20.97%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$24.6K €21.5K

8.33%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$70.3 €61.5

15.02%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$10.66 €9.32

-6.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$19.50 €17.06

24.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$17.41 €15.23

44.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.69 €4.10

-15.14%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$168 €147

81.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$2,874 €2,514

110.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$38.98 €34.11

49.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$31.52 €27.58

2.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$56.6 €49.49

78.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$83.7 €73.3

28.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$230 €201

107.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$173 €151

117.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$468 €410

80.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$343 €300

112.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$954 €834

237.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$715 €626

91.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$461 €404

33.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

235.75%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Gjilan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $230 in Gjilan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 34% 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 $20.00 in Gjilan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $162 per month, with Gjilan 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 Gjilan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Gjilan differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $647 including rent). Gjilan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $230 in Gjilan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,031 per month in Medellin versus $647 in Gjilan – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $647 in Gjilan versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gjilan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Gjilan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Gjilan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gjilan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.