Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ansan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ansan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,349 in Ansan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,058 in Ansan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,767 in Ansan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 25% more expensive than in Ansan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Ansan is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$7.35 ₩10.2K

9.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$35.17 ₩48.7K

36.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$6.88 ₩9,530

43.75%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$4.18 ₩5,798

-25.12%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$1.64 ₩2,271

16.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.71 ₩987

112.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$3.48 ₩4,824

-10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$4.32 ₩5,985

33.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$2.13 ₩2,959

-32.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$3.17 ₩4,394

-21.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$2.23 ₩3,088

-20.63%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$3.46 ₩4,791

-14.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$15.76 ₩21.8K

-36.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$7.61 ₩10.5K

32.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$16.83 ₩23.3K

-15.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$7.68 ₩10.6K

-46.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$3.31 ₩4,583

-51.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$5.60 ₩7,758

-59.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$6.03 ₩8,355

-62.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$3.72 ₩5,151

-45.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$2.54 ₩3,524

-39.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$2.02 ₩2,799

-42.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$1.07 ₩1,480

22.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$3.25 ₩4,498

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$18.63 ₩25.8K

-24.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$2.27 ₩3,144

-23.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$3.18 ₩4,412

-9.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$1.08 ₩1,495

12.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$3.71 ₩5,138

-64.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.58 ₩808

277.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$8.76 ₩12.1K

-0.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.36 ₩1,884

0.74%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$29.4K ₩40.8M

-5.35%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$28.5K ₩39.5M

25.66%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$201 ₩278.1K

-11.65%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$35.35 ₩49.0K

-60.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$20.06 ₩27.8K

48.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$11.04 ₩15.3K

-39.76%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$296 ₩410.8K

174.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$17.4K ₩24.2M

-47.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$57.8 ₩80.1K

54.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$32.11 ₩44.5K

83.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$68.3 ₩94.6K

102.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$81.0 ₩112.3K

26.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$445 ₩616.2K

138.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$376 ₩520.5K

76.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,135 ₩1.6M

66.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$748 ₩1.0M

37.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$21.7K ₩30.1M

-80.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

$1,509 ₩2.1M

-55.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.08

168.14%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ansan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $445 in Ansan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ansan pays 123% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Ansan. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $414, 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

Medellin vs Ansan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ansan is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 123% lower in Ansan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $445 in Ansan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $296 in Ansan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ansan – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,349 in Ansan versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ansan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ansan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ansan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ansan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ansan 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.