Cost of Living Comparison Between Dalian and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Dalian and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $798 in Dalian versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,254 in Dalian versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in Dalian versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Dalian costs roughly 23% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dalian 40% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 ¥23.29

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-42.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.55 ¥168

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-25.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 ¥34.03

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-30.97%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ¥21.42

$1.70 COP 6,186

84.12%

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

$0.51 ¥3.48

$1.10 COP 3,996

-53.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ¥1.64

$0.72 COP 2,625

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 ¥5.64

$1.67 COP 6,067

-50.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ¥10.55

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-50.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥10.94

$1.06 COP 3,837

50.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ¥9.93

$1.25 COP 4,531

16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.24

$1.39 COP 5,060

-34.53%

Eggs

$2.01 ¥13.78

$2.26 COP 8,229

-11.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.42 ¥133

$4.33 COP 15.8K

348.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.69 ¥18.44

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-53.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 ¥69.9

$8.83 COP 32.1K

15.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.78

$2.24 COP 8,159

-42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.91

$1.08 COP 3,911

7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ¥9.09

$1.53 COP 5,563

-13.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.86

$1.37 COP 4,987

-48.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.61

$1.13 COP 4,109

-40.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.91

$1.12 COP 4,067

-35.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.17

$0.85 COP 3,080

-11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.13

$0.91 COP 3,305

-34.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥23.46

$2.33 COP 8,477

46.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.45 ¥120

$11.13 COP 40.5K

56.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.70

$1.19 COP 4,342

-30.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.36

$2.37 COP 8,617

-36.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥2.01

$0.79 COP 2,859

-63.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.80 ¥190

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-32.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.33

$1.44 COP 5,223

-5.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ¥2.72

$1.91 COP 6,952

-79.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 ¥27.69

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-49.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥7.87

$0.94 COP 3,410

22.34%

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

$17.8K ¥122.2K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

-0.48%

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

$16.0K ¥109.7K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-40.23%

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

$43.53 ¥298

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-48.15%

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

$9.10 ¥62.3

$9.60 COP 34.9K

-5.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.45 ¥78.4

$24.16 COP 87.9K

-52.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.04 ¥247

$25.88 COP 94.1K

39.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.92 ¥164

$19.04 COP 69.3K

25.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.44 ¥44.10

$3.92 COP 14.2K

64.29%

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

$455 ¥3,118

$306 COP 1.1M

48.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,374 ¥64.2K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

58.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 ¥386

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-2.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 ¥354

$31.82 COP 115.7K

62.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ¥734

$99.9 COP 363.3K

7.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 ¥651

$107 COP 389.7K

-11.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥2,412

$487 COP 1.8M

-27.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 ¥1,418

$368 COP 1.3M

-43.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 ¥4,357

$826 COP 3.0M

-22.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 ¥2,498

$716 COP 2.6M

-49.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,664 ¥18.3K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-8.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,650 ¥11.3K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

17.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,098 ¥7,523

$546 COP 2.0M

101.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

13.43

-68.88%

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

Last update for Dalian: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $352 in Dalian and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dalian pays 101% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Dalian vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $190, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Dalian vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dalian and Medellin differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($798 vs $1,034 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Dalian pays 101% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $352 in Dalian versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $455 in Dalian versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $798 in Dalian versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dalian but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dalian the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Dalian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.