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: $814 in Dalian versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,269 in Dalian versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,724 in Dalian versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Dalian costs roughly 20% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dalian 39% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.55 ¥23.99

$5.95 COP 20.8K

-40.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.26 ¥164

$33.33 COP 116.3K

-27.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 ¥32.58

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-33.33%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥20.21

$1.63 COP 5,687

83.44%

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

$0.48 ¥3.24

$1.09 COP 3,821

-55.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.76

$0.73 COP 2,548

-64.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.83 ¥5.61

$1.74 COP 6,065

-52.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.62

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-51.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥10.73

$1.05 COP 3,662

51.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ¥9.87

$1.29 COP 4,515

13.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.18

$1.32 COP 4,617

-31.06%

Eggs

$2.01 ¥13.60

$2.27 COP 7,927

-11.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.05 ¥129

$4.35 COP 15.2K

337.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ¥18.05

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-54.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 ¥70.3

$8.61 COP 30.0K

20.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.51

$2.25 COP 7,844

-44.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.86

$1.07 COP 3,733

8.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ¥9.12

$1.52 COP 5,322

-11.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.79

$1.42 COP 4,964

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.63

$1.17 COP 4,084

-41.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.12

$1.17 COP 4,077

-35.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ¥5.11

$0.89 COP 3,096

-14.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.85

$0.90 COP 3,146

-36.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 ¥23.04

$2.25 COP 7,837

51.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ¥119

$11.04 COP 38.5K

58.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.37

$1.14 COP 3,977

-30.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ¥10.43

$2.38 COP 8,301

-35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.84 COP 2,916

-65.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.13 ¥190

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-32.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.22

$1.41 COP 4,912

-3.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ¥2.69

$1.90 COP 6,634

-78.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 ¥26.40

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-49.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.65

$1.01 COP 3,509

11.88%

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

$17.8K ¥120.5K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

1.40%

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

$15.9K ¥107.4K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-40.03%

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

$43.33 ¥293

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-48.22%

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

$9.08 ¥61.4

$9.45 COP 33.0K

-3.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.54 ¥78.0

$24.11 COP 84.1K

-52.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.07 ¥244

$25.31 COP 88.3K

42.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.27 ¥164

$19.14 COP 66.8K

26.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 ¥44.90

$4.10 COP 14.3K

61.95%

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

$454 ¥3,070

$312 COP 1.1M

45.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,444 ¥63.9K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

57.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ¥380

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-3.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 ¥348

$32.56 COP 113.6K

57.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ¥731

$99.6 COP 347.7K

8.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥635

$109 COP 378.8K

-13.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 ¥2,395

$482 COP 1.7M

-26.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 ¥1,406

$379 COP 1.3M

-45.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 ¥4,398

$837 COP 2.9M

-22.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ¥2,455

$723 COP 2.5M

-49.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,765 ¥18.7K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-2.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,622 ¥11.0K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

32.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,088 ¥7,356

$541 COP 1.9M

101.12%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $354 in Dalian and $482 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: $24.00 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 25% in total monthly costs ($814 vs $1,017 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: $354 in Dalian versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $454 in Dalian versus $312 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 $814 in Dalian versus $1,017 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 25% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.