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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $786 in Dalian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,255 in Dalian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,723 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 25% lower, Dalian 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$3.44 ¥23.25

71.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$24.04 ¥162

37.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$4.82 ¥32.51

54.15%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$3.00 ¥20.23

-45.00%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.47 ¥3.17

134.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.26 ¥1.77

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$0.80 ¥5.41

115.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.51 ¥10.16

110.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.66 ¥11.22

-33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.53 ¥10.31

-17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$0.96 ¥6.50

43.75%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.99 ¥13.46

9.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$19.21 ¥130

-76.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$2.80 ¥18.88

106.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$10.35 ¥69.8

-13.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$1.25 ¥8.42

85.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.16 ¥7.85

-8.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.27 ¥8.59

19.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$0.78 ¥5.23

74.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$0.68 ¥4.61

66.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$0.75 ¥5.07

56.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.69 ¥4.69

30.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.57 ¥3.82

57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$3.55 ¥23.95

-37.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$14.40 ¥97.2

-15.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$0.84 ¥5.65

41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$1.51 ¥10.21

64.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.29 ¥1.96

193.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$28.01 ¥189

48.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$1.42 ¥9.60

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.43 ¥2.91

353.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$4.06 ¥27.43

94.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.13 ¥7.65

-12.39%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$17.9K ¥120.9K

-1.68%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$16.0K ¥107.7K

67.91%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$43.88 ¥296

89.18%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$9.40 ¥63.5

3.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$11.53 ¥77.8

103.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$36.78 ¥248

-31.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$23.70 ¥160

-19.41%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$6.63 ¥44.73

-40.42%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$445 ¥3,001

-28.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$9,587 ¥64.7K

-37.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$54.7 ¥369

9.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$51.6 ¥348

-38.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$106 ¥713

-3.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$93.3 ¥629

15.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$359 ¥2,424

32.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$207 ¥1,395

80.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$641 ¥4,326

32.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$358 ¥2,416

101.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$2,660 ¥18.0K

22.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,605 ¥10.8K

-10.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$1,091 ¥7,366

-42.77%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Dalian: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $359 in Dalian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dalian pays 75% 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 $193 vs $218, 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 ($1,003 vs $786 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 75% 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: $475 in Medellin versus $359 in Dalian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $445 in Dalian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $786 in Dalian versus $1,003 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.