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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $901 in Dalian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,441 in Dalian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,981 in Dalian.

Living in Medellin is roughly 87% more expensive than in Dalian, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Dalian is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.48 ¥23.31

130.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$25.63 ¥172

86.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.22 ¥34.97

89.46%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.33 ¥22.30

-6.01%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.49 ¥3.30

289.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.23 ¥1.53

556.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.00 ¥6.71

212.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$1.52 ¥10.17

278.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.63 ¥10.95

-11.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.42 ¥9.50

75.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.95 ¥6.36

86.32%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.66 ¥11.10

78.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$20.33 ¥136

-50.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.36 ¥22.50

201.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$13.00 ¥87.1

10.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.28 ¥8.55

223.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.12 ¥7.53

43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.95 ¥13.07

15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.84 ¥5.65

167.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.83 ¥5.56

145.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.66 ¥4.40

133.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.36 ¥9.11

-13.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.64 ¥4.25

104.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.83 ¥25.65

1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$14.48 ¥97.0

-3.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.05 ¥7.03

65.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.86 ¥12.46

54.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.29 ¥1.92

320.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$29.39 ¥197

173.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.52 ¥10.17

-13.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.43 ¥2.87

409.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$4.00 ¥26.79

117.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.25 ¥8.38

9.60%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$19.4K ¥129.7K

43.70%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$17.8K ¥119.4K

100.69%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$63.8 ¥427

178.12%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$9.39 ¥62.9

47.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$13.51 ¥90.5

119.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$40.85 ¥274

9.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$35.98 ¥241

-52.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$6.52 ¥43.64

1.99%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$405 ¥2,713

100.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$18.5K ¥123.6K

-50.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$73.1 ¥489

22.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$54.6 ¥366

7.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$111 ¥743

24.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$121 ¥813

-15.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$410 ¥2,746

159.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$239 ¥1,603

176.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$710 ¥4,754

166.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$440 ¥2,945

133.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,657 ¥17.8K

57.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,598 ¥10.7K

4.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,103 ¥7,385

-38.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.89

181.23%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Dalian: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $410 in Dalian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dalian pays 63% 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 $26.00 in Dalian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $238 per month, with Dalian 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 Dalian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Dalian differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $901 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 63% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $410 in Dalian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $405 in Dalian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $901 in Dalian versus $1,681 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 87% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.