Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gramsh

For one person, living is cheaper in Gramsh: $1,094 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Gramsh, Albania
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Gramsh
🇦🇱 Albania
$1,094
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Gramsh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Gramsh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,094 in Gramsh, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Gramsh $1,094

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,676 in Gramsh, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Gramsh $1,676

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,257 in Gramsh, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Gramsh $2,257

Medellin costs about 55% more than Gramsh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Gramsh is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Gramsh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 27.0K
$9.83 ALL 797
-15.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.9K
$38.88 ALL 3,151
19.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.7K
$7.40 ALL 600
27.97%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.2K
$1.93 ALL 156
62.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,728
$1.80 ALL 146
-1.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,620
$0.64 ALL 52.2
121.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$2.42 ALL 196
30.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.5K
$3.47 ALL 281
64.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Gramsh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,971
$1.92 ALL 156
-20.31%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,431
$0.94 ALL 76.0
143.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,308
$2.14 ALL 173
-9.35%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,945
$2.62 ALL 212
17.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.4K
$10.41 ALL 844
-4.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.9K
$8.44 ALL 684
23.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.3K
$13.96 ALL 1,132
-
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$1.96 ALL 159
106.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,957
$2.32 ALL 188
-34.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,825
$1.66 ALL 135
26.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,439
$1.60 ALL 130
43.13%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,841
$1.05 ALL 85.0
100.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,543
$1.23 ALL 100
39.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,795
$1.20 ALL 97.4
-2.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,125
$0.79 ALL 63.7
100.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.7K
$4.24 ALL 343
-7.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.6K
$8.13 ALL 659
72.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,714
$1.75 ALL 142
0.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,796
$1.89 ALL 154
43.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Gramsh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,826
$0.50 ALL 40.61
136.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 247.4K
$19.57 ALL 1,586
289.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,860
$3.82 ALL 310
-52.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,906
$3.79 ALL 307
-43.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.4K
$18.83 ALL 1,527
-56.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,136
$2.17 ALL 176
-41.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.7M
$34.0K ALL 2.8M
1.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.7M
$24.4K ALL 2.0M
39.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Gramsh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 576.4K
$60.3 ALL 4,890
194.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 45.0K
$16.99 ALL 1,377
-18.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.7K
$17.07 ALL 1,384
80.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Gramsh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 136.0K
$57.8 ALL 4,687
-27.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.2K
$8.44 ALL 684
-11.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Gramsh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$100 ALL 8,128
687.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.9M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Gramsh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 280.0K
$49.30 ALL 3,996
75.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 192.2K
$55.1 ALL 4,461
7.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 448.7K
$101 ALL 8,146
37.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 320.5K
$150 ALL 12.2K
-34.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Gramsh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$477 ALL 38.6K
181.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$318 ALL 25.8K
109.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$708 ALL 57.4K
179.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$465 ALL 37.7K
121.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.3M
$1,984 ALL 160.8K
106.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$1,284 ALL 104.1K
51.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Gramsh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5
118.80%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gramsh: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Gramsh
$318 52.3% $349
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Gramsh
$250 18.7% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Gramsh
$94 57.5% $128
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Gramsh
$153 11.5% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Gramsh
$160 7.2% $12
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Gramsh
$44 52.5% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Gramsh
$75 31.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $477 in Gramsh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $39 in Gramsh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $250 – making Gramsh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇦🇱 Gramsh
🕒 Local time
08:49 8:49 AM
14:49 2:49 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
8,400
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 81.05 ALL (100 ALL = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 90.86 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Gramsh 10,040 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Gramsh

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Gramsh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gramsh cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,641 in Gramsh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Gramsh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $477 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $100 in Gramsh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Gramsh?
Groceries cost about 23% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Gramsh?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gramsh, where all-in costs run around $1,094, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Gramsh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Gramsh more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Gramsh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Gramsh is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 35% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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