Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gostivar Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gostivar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $868 in Gostivar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,295 in Gostivar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,721 in Gostivar.

Living in Medellin is roughly 94% more expensive than in Gostivar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Gostivar is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$6.51 MKD 346

23.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$28.17 MKD 1,498

69.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.07 MKD 323

62.93%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.39 MKD 74.0

125.18%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.38 MKD 73.2

38.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.10 MKD 58.6

37.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.33 MKD 70.7

134.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$1.93 MKD 103

197.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.33 MKD 70.7

8.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.73 MKD 39.04

241.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.47 MKD 78.4

20.41%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.46 MKD 131

20.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$6.50 MKD 345

54.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.72 MKD 304

76.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$15.27 MKD 812

-6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.46 MKD 77.9

183.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.44 MKD 76.6

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.35 MKD 71.7

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.86 MKD 98.8

20.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.89 MKD 47.32

129.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.72 MKD 38.29

113.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.60 MKD 32.02

95.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.59 MKD 31.20

122.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.89 MKD 154

34.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$4.60 MKD 245

204.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$0.97 MKD 51.4

79.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.46 MKD 77.7

96.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.68 MKD 36.33

79.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$25.14 MKD 1,337

220.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.79 MKD 41.81

65.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.34 MKD 18.24

544.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$7.84 MKD 417

11.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.54 MKD 81.8

-11.04%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$33.5K MKD 1.8M

-16.80%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$28.6K MKD 1.5M

24.97%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$131 MKD 6,951

35.64%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$11.29 MKD 600

22.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$18.88 MKD 1,004

57.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$25.62 MKD 1,362

75.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$19.14 MKD 1,018

-10.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$7.63 MKD 406

-12.84%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$366 MKD 19.5K

122.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$5,823 MKD 309.6K

57.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$37.84 MKD 2,012

136.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$36.88 MKD 1,961

59.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$106 MKD 5,636

30.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$115 MKD 6,137

-11.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$271 MKD 14.4K

291.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$195 MKD 10.4K

240.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$471 MKD 25.1K

300.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$304 MKD 16.1K

238.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,532 MKD 81.5K

173.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,155 MKD 61.4K

44.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$882 MKD 46.9K

-23.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.23

158.63%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $271 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gostivar pays 30% 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 $28.00 in Gostivar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $191 per month, with Gostivar 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 Gostivar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gostivar wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gostivar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Gostivar. 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 $271 in Gostivar. 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 $868 in Gostivar – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 220% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $868 in Gostivar versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gostivar but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Gostivar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gostivar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $868 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gostivar hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Gostivar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.