Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shkoder Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shkoder

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Medellin vs $927 in Shkoder, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Medellin vs $1,350 in Shkoder, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Medellin vs $1,772 in Shkoder, rent included.

Medellin costs about 11% more than Shkoder, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Medellin and Shkoder are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Shkoder 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$5.95 ALL 486

3.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$32.15 ALL 2,622

1.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$4.84 ALL 395

51.65%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.81 ALL 148

-4.97%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.60 ALL 130

-34.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.82 ALL 66.5

-6.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$2.31 ALL 189

-26.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.36 ALL 274

-5.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$2.06 ALL 168

-49.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.87 ALL 71.2

49.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.95 ALL 159

-28.21%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.94 ALL 239

-26.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$6.87 ALL 560

-36.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.99 ALL 407

17.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.33 ALL 842

-16.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.52 ALL 124

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$2.37 ALL 193

-53.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.74 ALL 142

-12.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.38 ALL 112

-2.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.01 ALL 82.5

11.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.21 ALL 98.7

-6.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.11 ALL 90.2

-23.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.74 ALL 60.2

22.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$4.09 ALL 334

-42.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$6.02 ALL 491

105.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.44 ALL 118

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.72 ALL 141

44.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.49 ALL 39.86

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$11.40 ALL 930

255.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$3.46 ALL 282

-58.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$3.12 ALL 255

-38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$17.64 ALL 1,439

-56.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$2.10 ALL 171

-52.86%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$35.2K ALL 2.9M

-48.72%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$25.0K ALL 2.0M

6.67%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$66.9 ALL 5,455

20.83%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$16.83 ALL 1,373

-40.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$16.08 ALL 1,311

50.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$41.52 ALL 3,386

-39.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$11.87 ALL 969

61.33%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$7.02 ALL 573

-43.30%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$87.5 ALL 7,138

248.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$1,756 ALL 143.2K

245.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$46.51 ALL 3,793

24.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$11.56 ALL 943

178.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$69.6 ALL 5,672

44.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$142 ALL 11.6K

-24.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$306 ALL 24.9K

55.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$298 ALL 24.3K

26.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$357 ALL 29.1K

136.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$339 ALL 27.6K

115.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,825 ALL 148.9K

76.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,223 ALL 99.7K

12.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$572 ALL 46.7K

7.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

168.60%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Shkoder: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Medellin versus $306 in Shkoder. 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 8% 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $32.00 in Shkoder. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Medellin vs $203 in Shkoder – so Medellin 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 Shkoder: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 11%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,546 per month in Medellin and $1,391 in Shkoder. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shkoder, 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 $32.00 in Shkoder. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,031 in Medellin and $927 in Shkoder. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shkoder, where all-in costs run around $927, than in Medellin at $1,031. In Shkoder it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shkoder – 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 Shkoder. 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.