Cost of Living Comparison Between Lhasa and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lhasa and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $694 in Lhasa versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,124 in Lhasa versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,555 in Lhasa versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Lhasa costs roughly 31% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lhasa 48% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 ¥24.17

$5.91 COP 18.9K

-39.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.42 ¥185

$32.96 COP 105.2K

-16.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 ¥48.17

$7.43 COP 23.7K

-4.04%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.80

$1.65 COP 5,276

86.67%

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

$0.41 ¥2.75

$1.10 COP 3,514

-62.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ¥2.27

$0.78 COP 2,491

-56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 ¥8.37

$1.72 COP 5,484

-27.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.67

$3.18 COP 10.1K

-45.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ¥13.98

$1.10 COP 3,521

88.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 ¥11.75

$1.26 COP 4,015

38.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.39

$1.38 COP 4,407

-42.03%

Eggs

$2.39 ¥16.17

$2.18 COP 6,950

9.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.63 ¥44.78

$4.49 COP 14.3K

47.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.72 ¥18.37

$5.79 COP 18.5K

-53.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.19 ¥68.8

$8.97 COP 28.6K

13.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.41

$2.32 COP 7,405

-8.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.34

$1.06 COP 3,397

58.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.17

$1.52 COP 4,838

-10.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.16

$1.36 COP 4,327

-44.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.51

$1.13 COP 3,599

-40.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.12

$1.17 COP 3,738

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.90 COP 2,876

-32.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.98

$0.90 COP 2,861

-17.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ¥20.52

$2.23 COP 7,128

36.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.91 ¥80.5

$12.12 COP 38.7K

-1.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥5.02

$1.19 COP 3,793

-37.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.11

$2.48 COP 7,920

-33.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.96

$0.85 COP 2,723

-65.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 ¥111

$41.62 COP 132.8K

-60.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ¥9.53

$1.42 COP 4,518

-0.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.74

$1.95 COP 6,223

-86.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 ¥44.85

$7.89 COP 25.2K

-15.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.79

$0.99 COP 3,160

31.31%

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

$19.6K ¥132.6K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

11.53%

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

$16.7K ¥112.9K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

-37.60%

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

$46.23 ¥312

$83.0 COP 264.9K

-44.31%

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

$9.89 ¥66.8

$9.70 COP 30.9K

1.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.39 ¥104

$23.52 COP 75.0K

-34.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.28 ¥279

$25.26 COP 80.6K

63.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 ¥95.0

$19.10 COP 60.9K

-26.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.61 ¥51.4

$3.95 COP 12.6K

92.66%

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

$331 ¥2,239

$316 COP 1.0M

4.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ¥114.0K

$5,975 COP 19.1M

182.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.97 ¥202

$60.0 COP 191.4K

-50.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.26 ¥204

$31.82 COP 101.5K

-4.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ¥474

$102 COP 324.4K

-31.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.38 ¥307

$107 COP 342.8K

-57.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 ¥1,879

$475 COP 1.5M

-41.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 ¥1,247

$374 COP 1.2M

-50.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 ¥3,997

$849 COP 2.7M

-30.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ¥2,455

$719 COP 2.3M

-49.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,181 ¥21.5K

$3,265 COP 10.4M

-2.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,938 ¥13.1K

$1,441 COP 4.6M

34.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,037 ¥13.8K

$624 COP 2.0M

226.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

13.43

-71.18%

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

Last update for Lhasa: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Lhasa and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lhasa pays 226% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Lhasa vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $193 per month, with Lhasa cheaper across the board.

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

Lhasa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lhasa and Medellin differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($694 vs $1,003 including rent). Lhasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 226% higher in Lhasa, 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: $278 in Lhasa versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lhasa – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $694 in Lhasa versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lhasa but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lhasa 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 Lhasa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.