Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Struga

For one person, living is cheaper in Struga: $861 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Struga
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Struga Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Struga

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$861

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Struga

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $861 in Struga, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Struga $861

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,317 in Struga, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Struga $1,317

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,772 in Struga, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Struga $1,772

Medellin costs about 90% more than Struga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Struga is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$7.12 MKD 391

13.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$29.20 MKD 1,606

61.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$5.43 MKD 299

74.95%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.56 MKD 85.9

92.95%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.82 MKD 100

-1.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.20 MKD 65.8

17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.68 MKD 148

18.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.03 MKD 166

89.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.23 MKD 67.5

22.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.73 MKD 40.01

226.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.62 MKD 88.8

9.26%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.96 MKD 108

47.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$7.41 MKD 408

37.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$6.24 MKD 343

58.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$12.68 MKD 697

10.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.47 MKD 81.1

170.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.35 MKD 74.4

14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.25 MKD 68.7

74.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.54 MKD 84.7

41.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.89 MKD 49.03

120.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.85 MKD 46.50

87.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.59 MKD 32.64

94.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.55 MKD 30.24

125.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.50 MKD 193

13.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$4.65 MKD 256

194.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.06 MKD 58.5

56.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.42 MKD 78.0

59.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.88 MKD 48.66

32.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$55.3 MKD 3,044

39.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.07 MKD 58.7

18.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.61 MKD 33.28

236.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$5.01 MKD 276

70.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.43 MKD 78.6

-5.59%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$33.1K MKD 1.8M

2.91%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$25.9K MKD 1.4M

33.79%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$100 MKD 5,507

69.45%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$10.81 MKD 595

25.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$18.92 MKD 1,040

48.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$20.03 MKD 1,102

118.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$11.44 MKD 629

50.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$7.46 MKD 410

-7.37%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$118 MKD 6,501

573.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$1,583 MKD 87.1K

475.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$85.7 MKD 4,713

-1.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$31.08 MKD 1,709

86.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$71.0 MKD 3,905

90.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$52.5 MKD 2,888

86.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$278 MKD 15.3K

334.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$217 MKD 12.0K

195.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$441 MKD 24.3K

359.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$356 MKD 19.6K

184.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,544 MKD 84.9K

170.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,364 MKD 75.0K

40.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$852 MKD 46.9K

-22.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.75

191.73%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Struga: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Struga

$217 25.2% 66.1% $424

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Struga

$184 21.4% 37.9% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Struga

$130 15.1% 38.5% $81

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Struga

$124 14.4% 27.2% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Struga

$108 12.6% 36% $61

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Struga

$63 7.3% 32.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Struga

$35 4.1% 39.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $278 in Struga. 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 30% higher in Struga, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $29 in Struga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $184 – making Struga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇰 Struga

🕒 Local time

00:23 12:23 AM

06:23 6:23 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

33,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.41 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Struga 10,070 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Struga

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 Struga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 90%, 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 $1,292 in Struga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Struga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $278 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $29 in Struga. 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 $861 in Struga. That makes Struga about 47% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Struga, where all-in costs run around $861, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Struga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Struga is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 47% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.