Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Anshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Anshan: $626 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Anshan
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Anshan Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Anshan

🇨🇳 China

$626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Anshan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Anshan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $626 in Anshan.

Medellin $1,625
Anshan $626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $1,011 in Anshan.

Medellin $2,412
Anshan $1,011

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $1,396 in Anshan.

Medellin $3,199
Anshan $1,396

Living in Medellin is roughly 160% more expensive than in Anshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Anshan is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$2.94 ¥19.67

182.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$18.46 ¥123

154.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$4.59 ¥30.70

101.31%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.49 ¥16.65

22.49%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.36 ¥2.38

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.21 ¥1.40

557.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$0.73 ¥4.89

343.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$1.61 ¥10.79

245.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.77 ¥11.80

-15.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.26 ¥8.42

88.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$0.39 ¥2.59

335.90%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.06 ¥7.07

179.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$9.06 ¥60.6

12.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$1.83 ¥12.24

432.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$8.93 ¥59.7

55.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.02 ¥6.83

304.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.17 ¥7.80

30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.17 ¥7.83

89.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.19 ¥7.95

90.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.31 ¥2.08

541.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.92 ¥6.14

81.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.29 ¥1.93

306.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.44 ¥2.92

181.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$3.78 ¥25.28

2.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$7.39 ¥49.42

86.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$0.72 ¥4.79

130.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.09 ¥7.29

120.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.29 ¥1.92

327.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$18.04 ¥121

333.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.03 ¥6.90

24.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.14 ¥0.90

1435.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$2.93 ¥19.59

185.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.05 ¥7.05

28.57%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$19.5K ¥130.4K

78.29%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$15.1K ¥101.2K

129.13%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$29.47 ¥197

465.49%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$7.37 ¥49.28

84.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$14.66 ¥98.0

98.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$41.48 ¥277

8.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$14.78 ¥98.9

16.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$5.93 ¥39.63

17.54%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$226 ¥1,514

248.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$21.4K ¥143.1K

-57.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$36.77 ¥246

138.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$32.89 ¥220

76.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$60.6 ¥405

129.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$69.9 ¥468

41.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$295 ¥1,971

248.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$182 ¥1,217

240.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$629 ¥4,209

198.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$377 ¥2,518

167.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$3,509 ¥23.5K

13.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,923 ¥12.9K

-11.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$926 ¥6,194

-28.40%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Anshan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Anshan

$182 29.1% 70.6% $437

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Anshan

$152 24.2% 49.1% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Anshan

$52 8.2% 75.4% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Anshan

$90 14.4% 47.8% $83

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Anshan

$76 12.2% 55.3% $94

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Anshan

$21 3.3% 78.1% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Anshan

$53 8.5% 9.7% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $295 in Anshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Anshan pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $18.00 in Anshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $152 per month, with Anshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Anshan

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

20:31 8:31 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,543,696

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Anshan 14,420 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Anshan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, clothing, and eating out. The 160% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 40% 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $295 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 $18.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $626 in Anshan – a 160% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $626 in Anshan versus $1,625 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 160% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.