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: $786 in Dalian versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,255 in Dalian versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,723 in Dalian versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Dalian costs roughly 22% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dalian 41% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 ¥23.25

$5.91 COP 18.6K

-41.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.04 ¥162

$32.96 COP 103.8K

-27.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 ¥32.51

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-35.13%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ¥20.23

$1.65 COP 5,207

81.82%

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

$0.47 ¥3.17

$1.10 COP 3,468

-57.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.77

$0.78 COP 2,458

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 ¥5.41

$1.72 COP 5,412

-53.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.16

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-52.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ¥11.22

$1.10 COP 3,474

50.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 ¥10.31

$1.26 COP 3,962

21.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.50

$1.38 COP 4,349

-30.43%

Eggs

$1.99 ¥13.46

$2.18 COP 6,858

-8.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.21 ¥130

$4.49 COP 14.1K

327.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.80 ¥18.88

$5.79 COP 18.2K

-51.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ¥69.8

$8.97 COP 28.2K

15.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.42

$2.32 COP 7,308

-46.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.85

$1.06 COP 3,352

9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.59

$1.52 COP 4,774

-16.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.23

$1.36 COP 4,270

-42.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.61

$1.13 COP 3,552

-39.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.07

$1.17 COP 3,689

-35.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.69

$0.90 COP 2,838

-23.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.82

$0.90 COP 2,823

-36.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.55 ¥23.95

$2.23 COP 7,034

59.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.40 ¥97.2

$12.12 COP 38.2K

18.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.65

$1.19 COP 3,743

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.21

$2.48 COP 7,815

-39.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.96

$0.85 COP 2,687

-65.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.01 ¥189

$41.62 COP 131.0K

-32.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ¥9.60

$1.42 COP 4,459

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.91

$1.95 COP 6,141

-77.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 ¥27.43

$7.89 COP 24.8K

-48.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.65

$0.99 COP 3,118

14.14%

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

$17.9K ¥120.9K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

1.71%

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

$16.0K ¥107.7K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

-40.44%

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

$43.88 ¥296

$83.0 COP 261.4K

-47.14%

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

$9.40 ¥63.5

$9.70 COP 30.5K

-3.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.53 ¥77.8

$23.52 COP 74.1K

-50.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.78 ¥248

$25.26 COP 79.5K

45.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.70 ¥160

$19.10 COP 60.1K

24.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 ¥44.73

$3.95 COP 12.4K

67.85%

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

$445 ¥3,001

$316 COP 994.2K

40.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,587 ¥64.7K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

60.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥369

$60.0 COP 188.9K

-8.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 ¥348

$31.82 COP 100.2K

62.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 ¥713

$102 COP 320.1K

3.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.3 ¥629

$107 COP 338.3K

-13.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 ¥2,424

$475 COP 1.5M

-24.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 ¥1,395

$374 COP 1.2M

-44.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 ¥4,326

$849 COP 2.7M

-24.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ¥2,416

$719 COP 2.3M

-50.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,660 ¥18.0K

$3,265 COP 10.3M

-18.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,605 ¥10.8K

$1,441 COP 4.5M

11.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,091 ¥7,366

$624 COP 2.0M

74.74%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $359 in Dalian and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dalian pays 75% 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 $218 vs $193, 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 28% in total monthly costs ($786 vs $1,003 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 75% higher in Dalian, 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: $359 in Dalian versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $445 in Dalian versus $316 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $786 in Dalian versus $1,003 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 28% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.