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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $665 in Hanzhong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,060 in Hanzhong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,455 in Hanzhong.

Living in Medellin is roughly 52% more expensive than Hanzhong, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Hanzhong 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$2.78 ¥18.79

115.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$17.86 ¥121

83.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$5.42 ¥36.67

30.81%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,155

$3.28 ¥22.16

-47.87%

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

$1.10 COP 3,950

$0.40 ¥2.67

175.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,799

$0.22 ¥1.48

254.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,037

$1.08 ¥7.32

55.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.75 ¥11.85

75.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,931

$1.49 ¥10.08

-26.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,537

$1.54 ¥10.45

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$0.87 ¥5.87

58.62%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,878

$1.60 ¥10.82

36.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$7.08 ¥47.91

-37.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$1.96 ¥13.23

187.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$9.09 ¥61.5

-2.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,403

$1.64 ¥11.07

42.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,802

$1.14 ¥7.68

-7.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,409

$1.30 ¥8.78

15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,956

$0.77 ¥5.19

79.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,138

$0.69 ¥4.70

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,183

$0.56 ¥3.78

107.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,203

$0.55 ¥3.75

61.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$0.56 ¥3.76

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,198

$2.74 ¥18.51

-16.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.3K

$7.31 ¥49.46

45.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,312

$0.78 ¥5.25

53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,882

$1.69 ¥11.45

46.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,076

$0.27 ¥1.80

218.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$16.94 ¥115

144.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,298

$1.39 ¥9.43

5.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,055

$0.36 ¥2.41

444.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$4.13 ¥27.91

87.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,431

$1.17 ¥7.92

-18.80%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$21.1K ¥142.9K

-14.16%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$16.1K ¥108.9K

64.59%

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

$82.3 COP 295.7K

$37.89 ¥256

117.08%

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

$9.50 COP 34.2K

$5.50 ¥37.23

72.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$11.91 ¥80.6

103.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$42.07 ¥285

-38.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$13.86 ¥93.8

37.09%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$4.92 ¥33.27

-20.12%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$332 ¥2,247

-6.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$18.4K ¥124.2K

-67.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$55.4 ¥375

5.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.3K

$37.51 ¥254

-13.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.8K

$68.0 ¥460

50.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.7K

$71.4 ¥483

51.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$276 ¥1,865

72.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$189 ¥1,279

100.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$586 ¥3,965

43.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$363 ¥2,455

99.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$3,091 ¥20.9K

-9.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,769 ¥12.0K

-31.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$578 ¥3,913

-11.51%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hanzhong: June 1, 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.

Hanzhong pays 13% 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 $18.00 in Hanzhong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $156 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 52% 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.

On paper, Hanzhong earns 13% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $276 in Hanzhong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $332 in Hanzhong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $665 in Hanzhong versus $1,013 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 $665 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 52% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.