Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sandanski Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sandanski

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,687 per month in Medellin vs $1,067 in Sandanski, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,535 per month in Medellin vs $1,665 in Sandanski, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,383 per month in Medellin vs $2,262 in Sandanski, rent included.

Medellin costs about 58% more than Sandanski, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Sandanski is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$9.49 BGN 15.79

-16.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$46.71 BGN 77.7

-4.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$8.84 BGN 14.71

5.09%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$2.83 BGN 4.71

2.47%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$1.67 BGN 2.77

8.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$1.60 BGN 2.67

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$2.60 BGN 4.33

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$4.25 BGN 7.07

38.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.82 BGN 3.02

-24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$1.15 BGN 1.92

113.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$2.27 BGN 3.78

-33.48%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$3.19 BGN 5.31

-12.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$12.13 BGN 20.18

-25.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$8.42 BGN 14.00

26.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$15.29 BGN 25.44

-4.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$1.70 BGN 2.82

133.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.94 BGN 3.23

-28.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$1.97 BGN 3.28

16.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$1.74 BGN 2.90

16.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$1.08 BGN 1.80

93.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$1.07 BGN 1.78

52.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$1.25 BGN 2.07

-13.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.79 BGN 1.32

58.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$4.04 BGN 6.72

-0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$6.41 BGN 10.66

110.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$0.97 BGN 1.61

64.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$1.44 BGN 2.39

108.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$0.94 BGN 1.57

25.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

$24.68 BGN 41.06

223.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$1.38 BGN 2.29

16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$0.65 BGN 1.08

227.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$10.86 BGN 18.06

-21.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.56 BGN 2.60

-13.46%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$30.6K BGN 50.9K

-7.41%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$25.3K BGN 42.2K

40.84%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$117 BGN 194

29.55%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$19.74 BGN 32.84

-33.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$15.80 BGN 26.29

104.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$32.74 BGN 54.5

41.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$18.69 BGN 31.10

-7.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$9.36 BGN 15.57

-31.30%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$539 BGN 896

55.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$5,750 BGN 9,565

54.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$70.3 BGN 117

27.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$43.80 BGN 72.9

26.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$98.6 BGN 164

38.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$109 BGN 181

0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$345 BGN 574

175.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$265 BGN 441

151.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$562 BGN 935

259.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$408 BGN 679

181.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$1,345 BGN 2,237

174.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$1,131 BGN 1,882

40.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$588 BGN 978

6.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

3.1

236.45%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Sandanski: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $952 in Medellin versus $345 in Sandanski. 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 6% 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 $45.00 in Medellin versus $47.00 in Sandanski. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $253 in Sandanski – so Sandanski wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Sandanski: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 58%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,530 per month in Medellin and $1,601 in Sandanski. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sandanski, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Medellin and $47.00 in Sandanski. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,687 in Medellin and $1,067 in Sandanski. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sandanski, where all-in costs run around $1,067, than in Medellin at $1,687. In Sandanski it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sandanski – 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 Sandanski. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.