Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sarande Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sarande

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $1,298 in Sarande, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $2,205 in Sarande, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $3,113 in Sarande, rent included.

Medellin is about 20% cheaper than Sarande, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Sarande are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Sarande 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$11.84 ALL 967

-50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$58.1 ALL 4,740

-43.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$9.69 ALL 791

-25.70%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.07 ALL 169

-17.87%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.83 ALL 150

-39.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.97 ALL 78.9

-25.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.98 ALL 243

-43.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.47 ALL 283

-10.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$2.04 ALL 167

-48.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.13 ALL 92.5

10.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$2.17 ALL 177

-35.94%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$3.98 ALL 325

-43.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$12.87 ALL 1,051

-66.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$7.82 ALL 638

-25.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$15.86 ALL 1,295

-44.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.72 ALL 140

30.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$2.69 ALL 219

-59.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.98 ALL 162

-22.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.98 ALL 162

-30.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.31 ALL 107

-13.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.29 ALL 105

-13.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.50 ALL 122

-43.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.75 ALL 61.4

21.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.30 ALL 351

-45.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$6.58 ALL 537

69.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.60 ALL 131

-25.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.12 ALL 173

11.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$1.13 ALL 92.1

-30.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$23.33 ALL 1,905

76.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$3.51 ALL 287

-58.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$3.22 ALL 263

-40.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$17.75 ALL 1,449

-54.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$2.07 ALL 169

-54.59%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$35.1K ALL 2.9M

-48.87%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$29.2K ALL 2.4M

-8.29%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$102 ALL 8,316

-17.57%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$18.05 ALL 1,474

-46.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$18.11 ALL 1,479

33.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$89.7 ALL 7,327

-71.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$41.29 ALL 3,371

-53.89%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$9.58 ALL 782

-59.08%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$292 ALL 23.8K

5.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$5,563 ALL 454.2K

6.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$67.7 ALL 5,525

-14.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$50.2 ALL 4,099

-36.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$109 ALL 8,925

-8.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$130 ALL 10.6K

-17.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$884 ALL 72.1K

-44.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$381 ALL 31.1K

-3.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$1,096 ALL 89.5K

-24.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$950 ALL 77.5K

-24.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$4,737 ALL 386.8K

-38.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$2,954 ALL 241.2K

-52.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$785 ALL 64.1K

-30.53%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sarande: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $884 in Sarande. 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 44% higher in Sarande, 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $58.0 in Sarande. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $271 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Sarande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sarande is pricier by about 26%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,946 in Sarande. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $58.0 in Sarande. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,034 in Medellin and $1,298 in Sarande. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in Sarande at $1,298. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sarande it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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