Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Anshan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Anshan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $562 in Anshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $883 in Anshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,205 in Anshan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 80% more expensive than Anshan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Anshan 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.55 ¥23.99

68.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$17.30 ¥117

89.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$4.27 ¥28.85

66.04%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.81 ¥19.00

-39.15%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.32 ¥2.20

243.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.22 ¥1.49

254.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$0.68 ¥4.57

147.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.55 ¥10.51

98.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.59 ¥10.76

-31.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.15 ¥7.79

9.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$0.37 ¥2.48

272.97%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.03 ¥13.70

7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$8.23 ¥55.6

-46.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$1.62 ¥10.98

247.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$8.24 ¥55.7

7.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$0.98 ¥6.65

138.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.10 ¥7.44

-3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.08 ¥7.32

38.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$0.72 ¥4.85

91.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.27 ¥1.82

325.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.77 ¥5.21

50.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.60 ¥4.03

48.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.43 ¥2.94

95.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$3.51 ¥23.71

-35.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$11.40 ¥77.1

-6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$0.67 ¥4.52

79.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.36 ¥9.23

81.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.27 ¥1.82

218.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$16.69 ¥113

148.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$0.93 ¥6.26

58.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.33 ¥2.22

493.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$3.99 ¥26.96

93.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.03 ¥6.95

-7.77%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$18.1K ¥122.2K

0.30%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$13.9K ¥93.7K

91.20%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$27.67 ¥187

197.25%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$6.90 ¥46.67

37.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$11.30 ¥76.4

114.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$27.61 ¥187

-6.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$13.69 ¥92.6

38.79%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.69 ¥38.47

-30.93%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$207 ¥1,402

49.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$9,333 ¥63.1K

-36.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$34.30 ¥232

71.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$34.89 ¥236

-7.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$84.9 ¥574

20.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$69.0 ¥467

57.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$139 ¥940

242.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$114 ¥768

233.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$275 ¥1,857

205.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$205 ¥1,389

252.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,785 ¥18.8K

0.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,790 ¥12.1K

-32.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$940 ¥6,359

-45.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

571.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Anshan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $139 in Anshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Anshan pays 84% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $17.00 in Anshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $153 per month, with Anshan 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

Medellin vs Anshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Anshan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Anshan earns 84% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $139 in Anshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Anshan – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $562 in Anshan – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $562 in Anshan versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Anshan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Anshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Anshan 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.

Expats usually find Anshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.