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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $646 in Lanzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,016 in Lanzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,386 in Lanzhou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 60% more expensive than in Lanzhou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Lanzhou 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$2.05 ¥13.86

200.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$20.92 ¥141

55.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.22 ¥42.00

18.01%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.95 ¥19.91

-41.69%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.40 ¥2.72

162.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.27 ¥1.82

185.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$0.58 ¥3.89

191.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.64 ¥11.11

93.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.60 ¥10.83

-34.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.61 ¥10.90

-19.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.94 ¥6.35

48.94%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.82 ¥12.32

18.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$12.73 ¥86.0

-65.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.16 ¥21.37

86.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$8.85 ¥59.8

-2.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.80 ¥12.16

26.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.44 ¥9.74

-22.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.30 ¥8.79

17.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.94 ¥6.35

43.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.48 ¥3.25

135.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.88 ¥5.93

28.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.46 ¥3.08

84.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.52 ¥3.48

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$3.18 ¥21.48

-26.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$11.56 ¥78.1

7.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.75 ¥5.05

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.57 ¥10.62

58.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.27 ¥1.80

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$16.53 ¥112

145.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.37 ¥9.29

3.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.20 ¥1.36

860.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$2.44 ¥16.49

213.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.36 ¥9.22

-27.21%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$19.7K ¥133.0K

-8.37%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$16.5K ¥111.7K

61.03%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$44.89 ¥303

80.02%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$10.02 ¥67.7

-0.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$11.66 ¥78.8

107.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$41.19 ¥278

-39.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$13.76 ¥93.0

39.17%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$6.14 ¥41.46

-35.18%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$339 ¥2,291

-9.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$28.0K ¥189.2K

-78.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$44.28 ¥299

31.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$29.89 ¥202

7.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$70.3 ¥475

43.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$40.96 ¥277

163.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$275 ¥1,858

73.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$159 ¥1,077

135.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$601 ¥4,060

40.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$273 ¥1,846

167.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,679 ¥18.1K

20.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,710 ¥11.6K

-19.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$926 ¥6,258

-33.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.87

247.03%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lanzhou: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $275 in Lanzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lanzhou pays 50% 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 $21.00 in Lanzhou. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $193, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 50% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $275 in Lanzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $339 in Lanzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $646 in Lanzhou versus $1,031 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 60% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.