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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $660 in Gjilan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,014 in Gjilan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,368 in Gjilan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 53% more expensive than Gjilan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Gjilan 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$4.32 €3.72

38.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$19.90 €17.11

65.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.53 €4.76

28.21%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.41 €1.21

21.28%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.17 €1.01

-5.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.91 €0.79

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.46 €1.26

15.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.36 €1.17

125.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.28 €1.10

-14.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.45 €0.39

180.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.41 €1.21

-2.13%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.54 €1.33

42.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$6.17 €5.31

-28.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.88 €4.20

15.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$10.54 €9.07

-15.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.26 €1.09

85.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.63 €1.41

-34.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.40 €1.20

7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.22 €1.05

13.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.78 €0.67

47.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.81 €0.70

43.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.67 €0.58

32.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.56 €0.48

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$3.56 €3.06

-35.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$5.71 €4.91

86.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$0.95 €0.82

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.43 €1.23

72.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.55 €0.48

56.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$2.32 €2.00

-36.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.53 €0.46

269.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$5.87 €5.05

31.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.52 €1.30

-37.50%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$23.4K €20.1K

-22.50%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$25.0K €21.5K

6.10%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$68.3 €58.7

20.46%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$10.53 €9.06

-9.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$19.16 €16.48

26.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$17.45 €15.01

48.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.54 €3.90

-13.44%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$170 €146

82.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$2,932 €2,522

103.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$39.27 €33.78

49.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$30.91 €26.59

4.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$55.3 €47.55

85.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$84.9 €73.0

27.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$232 €199

105.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$177 €152

114.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$455 €392

84.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$342 €294

111.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$944 €812

195.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$726 €625

66.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$471 €405

8.75%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Gjilan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $232 in Gjilan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 9% 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 $188 vs $164 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 53% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $660 including rent). Gjilan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 9% more on average, 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: $476 in Medellin versus $232 in Gjilan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $660 in Gjilan – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $660 in Gjilan versus $1,013 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 53% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.