Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lanzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lanzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $723 in Lanzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,141 in Lanzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,559 in Lanzhou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 137% more expensive than in Lanzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Lanzhou is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$2.22 ¥14.89

261.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$26.60 ¥179

81.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$5.76 ¥38.68

69.62%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.55 ¥17.11

14.12%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.46 ¥3.10

321.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.31 ¥2.08

390.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$0.65 ¥4.36

375.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.11 ¥14.18

172.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.82 ¥12.24

-25.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.65 ¥11.09

44.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$0.99 ¥6.66

71.72%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$1.98 ¥13.25

44.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$13.18 ¥88.5

-24.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$3.46 ¥23.20

211.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$12.26 ¥82.3

20.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.90 ¥12.76

115.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.31 ¥8.76

19.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.59 ¥10.65

33.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.24 ¥8.29

78.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$0.61 ¥4.07

236.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$0.93 ¥6.26

61.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$0.58 ¥3.87

105.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.58 ¥3.91

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.79 ¥25.40

2.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$11.39 ¥76.5

26.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$0.80 ¥5.38

97.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$1.59 ¥10.65

77.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.29 ¥1.93

303.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$17.87 ¥120

334.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.84 ¥12.36

-30.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.29 ¥1.94

620.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$7.02 ¥47.08

22.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.42 ¥9.56

-8.45%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$21.8K ¥146.3K

26.84%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$15.8K ¥106.1K

124.55%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$55.1 ¥370

219.72%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$8.55 ¥57.4

56.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$10.94 ¥73.4

173.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$40.64 ¥273

10.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$14.60 ¥98.0

16.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$6.41 ¥43.00

-3.28%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$415 ¥2,787

90.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$16.8K ¥112.9K

-46.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$41.80 ¥280

104.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$33.84 ¥227

72.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$75.0 ¥503

81.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$90.1 ¥604

14.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$293 ¥1,963

262.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$166 ¥1,114

309.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$591 ¥3,965

240.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$291 ¥1,953

301.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$2,688 ¥18.0K

52.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,664 ¥11.2K

2.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$953 ¥6,393

-30.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

264.67%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lanzhou: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $293 in Lanzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lanzhou pays 43% 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 $27.00 in Lanzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $213 per month, with Lanzhou 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 Lanzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lanzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Lanzhou. 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $293 in Lanzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $415 in Lanzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Lanzhou versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lanzhou but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lanzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lanzhou is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Lanzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.