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: $1,018 in Medellin versus $675 in Hanzhong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Medellin versus $1,071 in Hanzhong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Medellin versus $1,467 in Hanzhong.

Living in Medellin is roughly 51% more expensive than in Hanzhong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Hanzhong 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.1K

$2.75 ¥18.64

115.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.4K

$18.16 ¥123

82.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.9K

$5.28 ¥35.72

34.85%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,480

$3.16 ¥21.36

-45.89%

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

$1.05 COP 3,370

$0.40 ¥2.70

162.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,321

$0.24 ¥1.63

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,524

$1.12 ¥7.58

53.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$1.78 ¥12.06

78.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,422

$1.51 ¥10.21

-29.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,209

$1.57 ¥10.60

-16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,273

$0.87 ¥5.88

52.87%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,328

$1.68 ¥11.36

35.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.2K

$6.85 ¥46.36

-35.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 19.0K

$1.98 ¥13.38

198.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$8.72 ¥59.0

-0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,535

$1.65 ¥11.18

41.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,541

$1.14 ¥7.69

-3.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,718

$1.34 ¥9.04

9.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,433

$0.75 ¥5.09

84.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$0.66 ¥4.47

77.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,760

$0.60 ¥4.06

95.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,902

$0.51 ¥3.42

76.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,704

$0.53 ¥3.57

58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,480

$2.87 ¥19.40

-18.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.3K

$7.45 ¥50.4

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,688

$0.73 ¥4.94

57.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,780

$1.70 ¥11.49

42.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,698

$0.29 ¥1.96

189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 131.2K

$16.38 ¥111

149.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,535

$1.35 ¥9.10

4.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,152

$0.35 ¥2.39

445.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.1K

$4.14 ¥28.02

89.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,033

$1.11 ¥7.53

-15.32%

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

$17.8K COP 57.3M

$21.2K ¥143.5K

-16.00%

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

$27.1K COP 87.0M

$16.2K ¥109.4K

67.42%

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

$83.3 COP 267.5K

$38.90 ¥263

114.04%

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

$9.66 COP 31.0K

$5.68 ¥38.45

70.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.8K

$12.00 ¥81.2

101.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 81.1K

$41.90 ¥283

-39.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.1K

$13.91 ¥94.1

38.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.1K

$4.85 ¥32.79

-16.08%

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

$307 COP 985.2K

$331 ¥2,239

-7.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.2M

$18.0K ¥121.8K

-66.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 192.6K

$55.8 ¥377

7.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.9K

$37.58 ¥254

-13.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 324.8K

$69.9 ¥473

44.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.2K

$71.9 ¥486

50.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$276 ¥1,867

72.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$186 ¥1,257

103.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$596 ¥4,035

36.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$363 ¥2,455

94.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

$2,715 ¥18.4K

17.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

$1,930 ¥13.1K

-25.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

$577 ¥3,903

7.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.1

333.23%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Last update for Hanzhong: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $276 in Hanzhong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 8% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $18.00 in Hanzhong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $155 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 51% 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 8% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $276 in Hanzhong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $307 in Medellin versus $331 in Hanzhong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $675 in Hanzhong versus $1,018 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 $675 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 51% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.