Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hanzhong Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hanzhong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $678 in Hanzhong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,094 in Hanzhong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,510 in Hanzhong.

Living in Medellin is roughly 153% more expensive than in Hanzhong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Hanzhong is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$2.76 ¥18.46

190.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$18.11 ¥121

166.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$4.35 ¥29.12

124.60%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.10 ¥14.08

38.57%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.40 ¥2.71

385.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.24 ¥1.60

533.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$1.53 ¥10.24

101.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$1.50 ¥10.08

282.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.41 ¥9.43

-3.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.71 ¥11.49

39.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$0.85 ¥5.72

100.00%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.42 ¥9.54

102.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$11.30 ¥75.8

-12.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$3.53 ¥23.63

205.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$10.57 ¥70.9

39.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.66 ¥11.09

146.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.16 ¥7.75

35.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.28 ¥8.57

66.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.32 ¥8.85

67.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$0.65 ¥4.34

215.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.73 ¥4.86

105.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.58 ¥3.87

105.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.55 ¥3.70

110.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.28 ¥21.97

18.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$8.69 ¥58.3

66.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$0.78 ¥5.23

102.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$1.71 ¥11.44

65.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.29 ¥1.95

303.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$17.66 ¥118

340.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$1.28 ¥8.59

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.29 ¥1.93

620.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$4.58 ¥30.71

88.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.21 ¥8.11

7.44%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$19.5K ¥130.7K

41.84%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$17.5K ¥117.5K

102.45%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$41.09 ¥275

328.50%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$5.85 ¥39.21

128.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$10.53 ¥70.5

183.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$37.73 ¥253

18.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$16.02 ¥107

6.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$5.16 ¥34.58

20.16%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$689 ¥4,618

15.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$17.4K ¥116.6K

-48.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$38.49 ¥258

122.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$37.16 ¥249

57.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$75.2 ¥504

81.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$84.1 ¥563

22.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$248 ¥1,661

327.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$183 ¥1,223

272.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$683 ¥4,577

194.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$367 ¥2,459

218.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$2,897 ¥19.4K

41.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,967 ¥13.2K

-13.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$573 ¥3,838

16.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.1

252.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Hanzhong: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $248 in Hanzhong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 16% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $18.00 in Hanzhong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $188 per month, with Hanzhong 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 Hanzhong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hanzhong wins on cost – living expenses run 153% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hanzhong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,060 in Medellin versus $248 in Hanzhong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $689 in Hanzhong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $678 in Hanzhong versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hanzhong but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Hanzhong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hanzhong delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $678 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hanzhong hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Hanzhong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 153% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.