Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Vlore

For one person, living is cheaper in Vlore: $1,201 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Vlore
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Vlore Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Vlore

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,201

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Vlore

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,201 in Vlore, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Vlore $1,201

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,795 in Vlore, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Vlore $1,795

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,390 in Vlore, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Vlore $2,390

Medellin costs about 37% more than Vlore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Vlore is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$10.08 ALL 819

-19.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$39.28 ALL 3,190

19.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$7.56 ALL 614

25.66%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.93 ALL 156

55.96%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.81 ALL 147

-0.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.68 ALL 55.5

107.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.50 ALL 203

27.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.38 ALL 274

70.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.98 ALL 161

-23.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.92 ALL 74.6

158.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$2.04 ALL 166

-13.24%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.70 ALL 219

7.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$10.40 ALL 845

-2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$8.32 ALL 676

18.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$14.24 ALL 1,156

-1.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.02 ALL 164

96.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$2.31 ALL 187

-32.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.66 ALL 135

31.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.59 ALL 129

37.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.04 ALL 84.8

88.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.24 ALL 101

28.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.20 ALL 97.8

-4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.82 ALL 66.6

51.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.23 ALL 343

-6.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$7.97 ALL 648

71.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.72 ALL 140

-3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.83 ALL 148

23.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.50 ALL 41.01

134.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$24.77 ALL 2,012

212.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$3.69 ALL 299

-65.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$3.73 ALL 303

-45.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$18.60 ALL 1,511

-54.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$2.17 ALL 176

-37.79%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$33.4K ALL 2.7M

1.87%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$24.7K ALL 2.0M

40.09%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$60.8 ALL 4,936

179.17%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$16.42 ALL 1,334

-17.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$17.46 ALL 1,418

60.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$57.3 ALL 4,654

-23.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$29.41 ALL 2,388

-41.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$8.63 ALL 701

-19.93%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$100 ALL 8,141

694.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$49.72 ALL 4,038

70.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$55.7 ALL 4,526

4.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$101 ALL 8,185

33.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$146 ALL 11.9K

-33.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$547 ALL 44.4K

120.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$418 ALL 33.9K

53.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$703 ALL 57.1K

188.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$552 ALL 44.9K

83.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,068 ALL 168.0K

101.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,416 ALL 115.0K

34.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$859 ALL 69.8K

-23.52%

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 Vlore: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Vlore

$418 34.8% 34.9% $224

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Vlore

$250 20.9% 15.7% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Vlore

$95 7.9% 55.2% $117

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Vlore

$156 13% 8.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Vlore

$159 13.2% 6.1% $10

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Vlore

$49 4.1% 47.5% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Vlore

$75 6.2% 29.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $547 in Vlore. 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 31% higher in Vlore, 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 $39 in Vlore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $250 – making Vlore the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇱 Vlore

🕒 Local time

20:06 8:06 PM

02:06 2:06 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

79,513

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 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).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of November 2, 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 →

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Medellin Vlore 9,980 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

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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 Vlore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 37%, 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 $1,801 in Vlore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vlore, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $547 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $39 in Vlore. 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 $1,201 in Vlore. That makes Vlore about 27% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,201 in Vlore. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Vlore is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 27% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.