Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pogradec

For one person, living is cheaper in Pogradec: $820 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Pogradec
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Pogradec Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Pogradec

🇦🇱 Albania

$820

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Pogradec

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $820 in Pogradec, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Pogradec $820

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,353 in Pogradec, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Pogradec $1,353

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,887 in Pogradec, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Pogradec $1,887

Medellin costs about 100% more than Pogradec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Pogradec is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$9.62 ALL 781

-15.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$39.12 ALL 3,177

20.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$7.30 ALL 593

30.14%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$1.58 ALL 129

90.51%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$1.81 ALL 147

-0.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.68 ALL 55.6

107.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$1.49 ALL 121

113.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$2.66 ALL 216

116.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.97 ALL 160

-23.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.91 ALL 73.8

161.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$2.05 ALL 167

-13.66%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.28 ALL 186

26.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.19 ALL 665

24.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$4.36 ALL 354

126.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$14.35 ALL 1,166

-2.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.27 ALL 103

212.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.35 ALL 191

-34.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$1.50 ALL 122

45.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$1.26 ALL 102

73.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.97 ALL 79.0

102.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$1.02 ALL 83.1

55.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.02 ALL 82.6

12.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.84 ALL 68.4

47.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.28 ALL 348

-7.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$7.80 ALL 634

75.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.25 ALL 102

32.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.82 ALL 148

24.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.51 ALL 41.08

129.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$18.76 ALL 1,524

312.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$3.64 ALL 296

-65.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.86 ALL 151

10.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$18.50 ALL 1,503

-53.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$2.28 ALL 185

-40.79%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$33.1K ALL 2.7M

3.02%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$24.3K ALL 2.0M

42.60%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$61.3 ALL 4,976

176.89%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$16.66 ALL 1,353

-18.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$17.47 ALL 1,419

60.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$36.29 ALL 2,947

20.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$18.73 ALL 1,521

-8.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$8.62 ALL 700

-19.84%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$99.8 ALL 8,105

698.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$49.22 ALL 3,998

72.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$56.0 ALL 4,549

3.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$96.9 ALL 7,871

39.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$149 ALL 12.1K

-34.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$185 ALL 15.1K

551.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$126 ALL 10.2K

410.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$366 ALL 29.7K

454.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$251 ALL 20.4K

302.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,626 ALL 132.1K

156.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,499 ALL 121.8K

27.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$478 ALL 38.9K

37.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

118.80%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Pogradec: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Pogradec

$126 15.3% 80.4% $516

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Pogradec

$213 26% 28.3% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Pogradec

$95 11.6% 54.8% $116

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Pogradec

$141 17.2% 17.1% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Pogradec

$158 19.3% 6.4% $11

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Pogradec

$34 4.1% 63.9% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Pogradec

$54 6.5% 7% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $185 in Pogradec. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $39 in Pogradec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $213 – making Pogradec the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇱 Pogradec

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

23:04 11:04 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

20,848

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 ALL = 1.23 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 81.22 ALL (100 ALL = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 90.69 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Pogradec 10,070 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Pogradec

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 Pogradec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 100%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,230 in Pogradec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pogradec, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $185 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $39 in Pogradec. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $820 in Pogradec. That makes Pogradec about 50% cheaper.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $820 in Pogradec. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Pogradec – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Pogradec. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.