Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lushnje Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lushnje

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,233 in Lushnje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,862 in Lushnje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,491 in Lushnje.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 18% less than in Lushnje, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Lushnje 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$11.92 ALL 975

-49.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$59.5 ALL 4,870

-44.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$9.69 ALL 793

-26.83%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.96 ALL 160

-12.76%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.88 ALL 154

-41.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.97 ALL 79.0

-19.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.99 ALL 245

-43.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$4.03 ALL 330

-23.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$2.08 ALL 170

-47.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.14 ALL 93.5

10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$2.16 ALL 177

-36.11%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$3.88 ALL 318

-43.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$13.23 ALL 1,082

-66.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$7.97 ALL 652

-29.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$15.72 ALL 1,286

-43.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.79 ALL 147

30.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$2.70 ALL 221

-60.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.97 ALL 161

-23.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.91 ALL 156

-27.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.38 ALL 113

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.33 ALL 109

-12.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.52 ALL 124

-41.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.74 ALL 60.8

13.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$4.33 ALL 354

-47.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$11.08 ALL 906

-3.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.62 ALL 133

-25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.16 ALL 177

14.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.45 ALL 36.80

91.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$18.93 ALL 1,549

118.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$3.56 ALL 292

-58.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$3.05 ALL 250

-35.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$17.93 ALL 1,467

-56.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$2.15 ALL 176

-55.81%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$39.6K ALL 3.2M

-54.23%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$36.0K ALL 2.9M

-26.36%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$108 ALL 8,814

-23.66%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$18.00 ALL 1,472

-47.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$18.31 ALL 1,498

32.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$56.2 ALL 4,594

-53.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$25.07 ALL 2,051

-24.21%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$9.40 ALL 769

-58.19%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$157 ALL 12.9K

96.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$5,645 ALL 461.8K

5.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$67.2 ALL 5,496

-12.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$49.61 ALL 4,059

-34.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$106 ALL 8,657

-3.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$128 ALL 10.5K

-15.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$459 ALL 37.5K

3.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$345 ALL 28.2K

9.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$611 ALL 50.0K

37.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$442 ALL 36.1K

63.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,098 ALL 171.7K

32.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,163 ALL 95.1K

4.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$612 ALL 50.1K

-16.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.52

143.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lushnje: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $459 in Lushnje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lushnje pays 20% 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 $60.0 in Lushnje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $282 per month, with Medellin 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 Lushnje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Lushnje. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Lushnje earns 20% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $459 in Lushnje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $60.0 in Lushnje. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $1,233 in Lushnje – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,233 in Lushnje, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lushnje. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Lushnje 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Lushnje. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.