Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shkoder and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Shkoder: $980 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Shkoder
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Shkoder Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Shkoder

🇦🇱 Albania

$980

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shkoder and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shkoder and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $980 per month in Shkoder vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Shkoder $980
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,474 per month in Shkoder vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Shkoder $1,474
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,969 per month in Shkoder vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Shkoder $1,969
Medellin $3,186

Shkoder is about 40% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shkoder sits 28% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.30 ALL 755

$8.09 COP 26.1K

14.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.93 ALL 3,162

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-17.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 ALL 504

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-34.63%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ALL 157

$3.01 COP 9,735

-35.88%

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

$1.83 ALL 149

$1.80 COP 5,809

1.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ALL 52.7

$1.41 COP 4,561

-53.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 ALL 149

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-42.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ALL 258

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-44.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ALL 153

$1.51 COP 4,876

25.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ALL 79.1

$2.38 COP 7,678

-59.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ALL 164

$1.77 COP 5,720

13.56%

Eggs

$2.60 ALL 211

$2.89 COP 9,333

-10.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 ALL 587

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-29.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 ALL 415

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-48.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 ALL 878

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-22.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 ALL 134

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-58.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ALL 191

$1.55 COP 5,012

51.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 ALL 139

$2.18 COP 7,048

-21.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ALL 118

$2.18 COP 7,051

-33.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 ALL 82.9

$1.96 COP 6,337

-47.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 ALL 99.6

$1.59 COP 5,132

-22.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ALL 92.5

$1.15 COP 3,699

-0.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ALL 62.7

$1.24 COP 4,014

-37.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ALL 343

$3.96 COP 12.8K

6.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.14 ALL 499

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-55.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 ALL 122

$1.66 COP 5,359

-9.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ALL 148

$2.26 COP 7,291

-19.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 39.91

$1.17 COP 3,771

-58.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.12 ALL 903

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-85.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 ALL 302

$1.27 COP 4,094

192.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.85 ALL 313

$2.05 COP 6,612

87.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.71 ALL 1,519

$8.55 COP 27.6K

118.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 ALL 177

$1.35 COP 4,349

60.74%

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

$33.7K ALL 2.7M

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-1.19%

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

$24.7K ALL 2.0M

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-28.78%

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

$61.7 ALL 5,009

$170 COP 547.8K

-63.65%

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

$16.47 ALL 1,338

$13.55 COP 43.8K

21.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.10 ALL 1,389

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-39.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.68 ALL 3,467

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-2.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 ALL 1,018

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-27.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 ALL 585

$6.91 COP 22.3K

4.20%

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

$91.1 ALL 7,399

$797 COP 2.6M

-88.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,835 ALL 149.0K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-79.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.16 ALL 3,992

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-41.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.34 ALL 1,002

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-78.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 ALL 6,008

$135 COP 435.8K

-45.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 ALL 11.9K

$97.9 COP 316.0K

49.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ALL 39.7K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-59.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ALL 25.8K

$642 COP 2.1M

-50.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ALL 39.3K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-76.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 ALL 33.5K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-59.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,866 ALL 151.6K

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-55.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,232 ALL 100.1K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-35.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$567 ALL 46.0K

$657 COP 2.1M

-13.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-54.30%

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

Last update for Shkoder: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shkoder

$317 32.4%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 102% $324

Groceries & Markets

Shkoder

$206 21%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 44.2% $91

Eating Out

Shkoder

$142 14.5%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 19.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Shkoder

$127 13%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 33.1% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shkoder

$95 9.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 122% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Shkoder

$57 5.8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 0.8% $0.5

Getting Around

Shkoder

$36 3.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 159% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in Shkoder versus $1,208 in Medellin. 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 16% 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 $39 in Shkoder versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $297 – making Shkoder the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Shkoder

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:59 8:59 AM

02:59 2:59 AM

6 h behind Shkoder

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,075

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Albanian Lek ALL L

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ALL = 1.23 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to ALL – Albanian Lek Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇱 Albanian Lek (L)

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 81.22 ALL (100 ALL = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 90.64 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to ALL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Shkoder Medellin 9,960 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Shkoder
Medellin

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

Shkoder vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,470 per month in Shkoder and $2,459 in Medellin. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $489 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Shkoder and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $980 in Shkoder and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Shkoder about 40% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Shkoder, where all-in costs run around $980, than in Medellin at $1,639. 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.