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: $1,716 in Medellin versus $632 in Anshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,013 in Anshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,394 in Anshan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 171% more expensive than in Anshan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Anshan is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$2.92 ¥19.57

175.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$18.73 ¥125

157.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$4.44 ¥29.76

120.05%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.45 ¥16.43

18.78%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.39 ¥2.60

397.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.23 ¥1.54

560.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$0.71 ¥4.73

335.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$1.67 ¥11.21

243.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.80 ¥12.06

-24.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.25 ¥8.35

91.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$0.36 ¥2.39

372.22%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.01 ¥6.75

184.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$9.00 ¥60.3

10.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$1.83 ¥12.28

489.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$8.95 ¥60.0

64.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.01 ¥6.80

304.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.20 ¥8.06

30.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.18 ¥7.90

80.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.22 ¥8.16

81.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$0.29 ¥1.93

606.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.91 ¥6.12

64.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.31 ¥2.09

283.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.43 ¥2.90

169.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.79 ¥25.41

2.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$7.24 ¥48.49

99.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$0.71 ¥4.73

122.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$1.09 ¥7.33

159.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.29 ¥1.94

303.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$17.86 ¥120

335.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$1.02 ¥6.84

25.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.14 ¥0.91

1392.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$2.94 ¥19.71

193.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.09 ¥7.28

19.27%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$19.2K ¥128.5K

44.28%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$15.1K ¥101.0K

135.58%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$29.95 ¥201

487.88%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$7.31 ¥49.00

82.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$14.91 ¥100.0

100.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$41.96 ¥281

6.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$14.55 ¥97.5

17.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$6.12 ¥41.04

1.31%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$223 ¥1,495

255.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$22.0K ¥147.2K

-58.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$37.50 ¥251

128.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$37.64 ¥252

55.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$58.6 ¥392

132.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$70.3 ¥471

46.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$286 ¥1,916

270.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$182 ¥1,216

274.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$590 ¥3,954

240.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$377 ¥2,528

209.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$3,101 ¥20.8K

32.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,906 ¥12.8K

-10.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$925 ¥6,200

-28.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

447.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Anshan: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $286 in Anshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Anshan pays 39% 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 $19.00 in Anshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $151 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 171% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Anshan. 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $286 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 $19.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $632 in Anshan – a 171% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $632 in Anshan versus $1,716 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 171% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.