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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $659 in Lanzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,033 in Lanzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,408 in Lanzhou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 54% more expensive than Lanzhou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Lanzhou 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$2.06 ¥13.96

190.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$20.81 ¥141

57.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$6.26 ¥42.41

13.26%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$3.03 ¥20.53

-43.56%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.44 ¥2.96

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.27 ¥1.81

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$0.53 ¥3.61

216.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$1.66 ¥11.24

84.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$1.54 ¥10.42

-29.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$1.61 ¥10.92

-21.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$0.94 ¥6.39

46.81%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$1.86 ¥12.58

17.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$12.97 ¥87.9

-66.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$3.02 ¥20.46

86.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$9.05 ¥61.3

-1.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$1.81 ¥12.27

29.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.42 ¥9.65

-25.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.24 ¥8.43

20.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$0.98 ¥6.61

40.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$0.49 ¥3.30

134.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$0.81 ¥5.48

43.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.46 ¥3.11

93.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.56 ¥3.78

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$3.21 ¥21.75

-28.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$10.95 ¥74.2

-2.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$0.79 ¥5.37

51.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$1.61 ¥10.88

53.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.29 ¥1.99

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$16.89 ¥114

145.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$1.41 ¥9.53

4.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.16 ¥1.09

1125.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$2.58 ¥17.46

200.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.39 ¥9.38

-31.65%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$19.1K ¥129.1K

-4.87%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$16.6K ¥112.2K

59.88%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$43.84 ¥297

87.61%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$9.54 ¥64.6

-0.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$11.73 ¥79.5

106.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$41.25 ¥279

-37.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$14.06 ¥95.2

35.14%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.40 ¥43.31

-38.59%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$342 ¥2,313

-9.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$28.3K ¥191.9K

-78.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$43.88 ¥297

33.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$30.63 ¥207

5.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$72.1 ¥488

42.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$42.51 ¥288

155.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$274 ¥1,855

73.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$157 ¥1,064

141.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$600 ¥4,063

39.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$279 ¥1,890

159.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$2,698 ¥18.3K

3.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,659 ¥11.2K

-26.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$924 ¥6,257

-44.60%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lanzhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $274 in Lanzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lanzhou pays 81% 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 $188 vs $192, 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 Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Lanzhou earns 81% 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 $274 in Lanzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $342 in Lanzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $659 in Lanzhou versus $1,013 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 54% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.