Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kocani

For one person, living is cheaper in Kocani: $872 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Kocani, North Macedonia
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Kocani
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
$872
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kocani

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 Kocani actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $872 in Kocani.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Kocani $872

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $1,315 in Kocani.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Kocani $1,315

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $1,758 in Kocani.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Kocani $1,758

Living in Medellin is roughly 94% more expensive than in Kocani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Kocani is 36% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Kocani
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$9.84 MKD 536
-15.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.3K
$34.59 MKD 1,885
34.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$6.64 MKD 362
42.62%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$1.06 MKD 57.8
195.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,705
$1.43 MKD 77.9
23.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,601
$1.06 MKD 57.6
33.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$2.81 MKD 153
12.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$3.11 MKD 170
83.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Kocani
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,950
$1.18 MKD 64.3
29.66%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,401
$0.56 MKD 30.54
308.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,282
$1.63 MKD 88.8
19.02%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,905
$1.78 MKD 97.0
72.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$6.26 MKD 341
59.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$4.40 MKD 240
137.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$8.05 MKD 439
73.42%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$1.29 MKD 70.3
213.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,937
$1.43 MKD 78.1
6.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,797
$1.24 MKD 67.7
69.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,409
$1.86 MKD 101
23.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,813
$0.75 MKD 40.71
181.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,521
$0.79 MKD 42.90
116.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,780
$0.56 MKD 30.70
108.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,104
$0.44 MKD 23.81
259.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$3.44 MKD 187
13.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.4K
$3.67 MKD 200
282.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,690
$0.83 MKD 45.47
112.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,760
$1.07 MKD 58.4
153.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Kocani
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,811
$1.40 MKD 76.3
-15.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.4K
$23.86 MKD 1,300
219.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,836
$1.07 MKD 58.4
69.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,878
$0.60 MKD 32.79
255.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
$3.15 MKD 171
158.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,119
$1.44 MKD 78.2
-11.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
$33.4K MKD 1.8M
3.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.3M
$25.9K MKD 1.4M
31.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Kocani
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 574.1K
$158 MKD 8,604
12.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.9K
$17.23 MKD 939
-19.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.3K
$14.84 MKD 808
107.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Kocani
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.5K
$16.66 MKD 908
151.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.3K
$17.42 MKD 949
-3.56%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$7.47 MKD 407
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Kocani
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$361 MKD 19.7K
118.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$5,574 MKD 303.7K
120.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Kocani
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.9K
$62.9 MKD 3,429
37.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.4K
$36.86 MKD 2,008
60.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.9K
$92.4 MKD 5,034
49.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.2K
$98.6 MKD 5,371
0.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Kocani
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$275 MKD 15.0K
387.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$194 MKD 10.6K
243.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$495 MKD 27.0K
299.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$296 MKD 16.1K
248.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$1,553 MKD 84.6K
163.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$1,146 MKD 62.4K
69.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Kocani
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$448 MKD 24.4K
44.15%
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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kocani: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Kocani
$194 70.9% $473
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Kocani
$150 51.1% $157
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Kocani
$190 14.5% $32
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Kocani
$142 18% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Kocani
$131 24% $41
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Kocani
$34 64.1% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Kocani
$32 44.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $275 in Kocani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 44% 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: $47 in Medellin vs $35 in Kocani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $150 per month, with Kocani cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇲🇰 Kocani
🕒 Local time
01:10 1:10 AM
07:10 7:10 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
29,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,626 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 54.48 MKD (100 MKD = 1.84 USD). 1 EUR = 61.16 MKD (100 MKD = 1.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Kocani 10,200 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Kocani

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 Kocani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Kocani?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $872 in Kocani, so Kocani is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Medellin or Kocani?
Average pay runs 44% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and in Kocani?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,341 in Medellin versus $275 in Kocani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Medellin and in Kocani?
A monthly transit pass in Kocani runs roughly 69% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Kocani?
Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $361 in Kocani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $872 in Kocani versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kocani but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kocani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Kocani?
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.
Where should expats move: Medellin or Kocani?
Expats usually find Kocani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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