Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dalian Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dalian

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $802 in Dalian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,267 in Dalian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $1,732 in Dalian.

Living in Medellin is roughly 28% more expensive than in Dalian, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Dalian 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$3.52 ¥23.81

70.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$24.15 ¥163

35.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$4.85 ¥32.81

52.99%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$3.01 ¥20.40

-45.18%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$0.47 ¥3.16

127.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.24 ¥1.61

216.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$0.81 ¥5.47

112.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$1.50 ¥10.16

113.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$1.63 ¥11.06

-35.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$1.46 ¥9.87

-10.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$0.94 ¥6.38

42.55%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$1.95 ¥13.19

12.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$19.50 ¥132

-77.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$2.70 ¥18.28

110.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$10.14 ¥68.6

-15.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$1.30 ¥8.82

80.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.16 ¥7.86

-4.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$1.28 ¥8.67

18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$0.77 ¥5.24

77.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$0.73 ¥4.96

57.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$0.77 ¥5.22

53.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$0.75 ¥5.10

12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$0.60 ¥4.08

43.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$3.41 ¥23.06

-33.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$17.98 ¥122

-35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$0.84 ¥5.68

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$1.53 ¥10.36

62.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$0.27 ¥1.83

192.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$28.06 ¥190

45.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$1.37 ¥9.25

7.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$0.40 ¥2.67

380.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$3.90 ¥26.39

99.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$1.19 ¥8.05

-15.13%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$17.9K ¥121.2K

-1.36%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$16.3K ¥110.6K

61.92%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$43.34 ¥293

87.13%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$9.00 ¥60.9

4.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$11.28 ¥76.4

111.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$36.18 ¥245

-28.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$24.13 ¥163

-22.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$6.44 ¥43.62

-36.49%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$452 ¥3,062

-30.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$9,543 ¥64.6K

-36.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$54.8 ¥371

8.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$52.0 ¥352

-38.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$105 ¥709

-3.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$95.1 ¥644

10.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$352 ¥2,379

38.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$204 ¥1,379

79.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$645 ¥4,363

28.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$368 ¥2,489

98.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$2,723 ¥18.4K

9.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$1,654 ¥11.2K

-20.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$1,113 ¥7,532

-50.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.18

221.29%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Dalian: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $352 in Dalian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dalian pays 102% 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 $24.00 in Dalian. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $225, 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 Dalian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Dalian differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,028 vs $802 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 102% lower in Dalian. 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: $485 in Medellin versus $352 in Dalian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $452 in Dalian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $802 in Dalian versus $1,028 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dalian but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dalian 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 Dalian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.