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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,263 in Lushnje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,888 in Lushnje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,514 in Lushnje.

Living in Medellin is roughly 30% more expensive than in Lushnje, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Lushnje is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$9.88 ALL 780

-18.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$52.9 ALL 4,174

-8.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$11.50 ALL 908

-18.09%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.39 ALL 189

23.01%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$2.41 ALL 190

-22.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.27 ALL 100

14.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$3.69 ALL 292

-13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.08 ALL 322

39.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.30 ALL 182

-37.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.28 ALL 101

87.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.42 ALL 191

-29.75%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$3.87 ALL 306

-25.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$13.69 ALL 1,081

-26.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$9.48 ALL 749

5.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$17.26 ALL 1,363

-17.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.94 ALL 153

105.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.48 ALL 196

-36.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.20 ALL 174

-2.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.86 ALL 147

23.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.04 ALL 82.4

92.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.27 ALL 100

18.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.42 ALL 112

-15.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.76 ALL 60.0

68.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.84 ALL 382

-20.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$11.13 ALL 879

25.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.82 ALL 143

-6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.13 ALL 168

28.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.51 ALL 40.42

145.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$20.36 ALL 1,608

282.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$3.67 ALL 290

-64.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$3.71 ALL 293

-41.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$18.55 ALL 1,465

-55.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$2.37 ALL 188

-42.62%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$34.4K ALL 2.7M

-20.15%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$36.2K ALL 2.9M

0.80%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$104 ALL 8,242

61.67%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$18.89 ALL 1,492

-28.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$20.61 ALL 1,628

37.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$58.0 ALL 4,583

-21.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$9.94 ALL 785

-33.10%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$358 ALL 28.3K

124.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,359 ALL 660.2K

9.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$50.0 ALL 3,950

74.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$47.35 ALL 3,740

25.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$124 ALL 9,821

11.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$113 ALL 8,928

-9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$489 ALL 38.6K

119.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$338 ALL 26.7K

92.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$734 ALL 58.0K

162.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$483 ALL 38.2K

116.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,899 ALL 150.0K

117.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,241 ALL 98.0K

36.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$624 ALL 49.2K

5.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.64

93.97%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lushnje: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $489 in Lushnje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 5% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $53.0 in Lushnje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $300 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

Lushnje wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lushnje the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $489 in Lushnje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lushnje – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $1,263 in Lushnje – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,263 in Lushnje versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lushnje but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lushnje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lushnje delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,263 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lushnje 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 Lushnje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.