Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lhasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lhasa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $692 in Lhasa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,118 in Lhasa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,544 in Lhasa.

Living in Medellin is roughly 47% more expensive than Lhasa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Lhasa 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$3.40 ¥22.99

75.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$27.31 ¥185

22.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$6.78 ¥45.82

6.64%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$3.02 ¥20.43

-46.03%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.44 ¥2.98

147.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.33 ¥2.25

121.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.27 ¥8.58

37.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$1.76 ¥11.92

83.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$2.06 ¥13.96

-49.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.68 ¥11.39

-23.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.76 ¥5.12

73.68%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.47 ¥16.69

-8.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$6.66 ¥45.05

-34.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$2.77 ¥18.70

112.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$10.23 ¥69.2

-15.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.12 ¥14.34

6.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.69 ¥11.42

-36.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.38 ¥9.31

10.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.84 ¥5.67

69.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.69 ¥4.67

69.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.91 ¥6.16

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.60 ¥4.08

48.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.79 ¥5.36

13.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$3.10 ¥20.98

-27.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$10.94 ¥74.0

0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$0.74 ¥5.03

54.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.61 ¥10.87

47.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.27 ¥1.82

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$16.61 ¥112

152.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.42 ¥9.57

-0.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.28 ¥1.91

578.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$6.79 ¥45.92

14.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.30 ¥8.80

-22.31%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$19.3K ¥130.2K

-8.73%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$16.5K ¥111.4K

60.84%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$45.22 ¥306

85.05%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$9.75 ¥66.0

-3.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$15.17 ¥103

58.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$42.28 ¥286

-40.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$13.87 ¥93.8

38.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$7.43 ¥50.3

-44.82%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$335 ¥2,268

-7.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$16.8K ¥113.5K

-64.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$30.42 ¥206

90.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$30.00 ¥203

8.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$68.2 ¥461

46.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$44.37 ¥300

144.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$281 ¥1,898

71.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$185 ¥1,252

105.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$600 ¥4,059

39.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$355 ¥2,399

103.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$3,216 ¥21.7K

-11.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,795 ¥12.1K

-31.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$2,092 ¥14.1K

-74.15%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Lhasa: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $281 in Lhasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lhasa pays 287% 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 $27.00 in Lhasa. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $190, 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 Lhasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Lhasa differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $692 including rent). Lhasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lhasa earns 287% 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: $482 in Medellin versus $281 in Lhasa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Lhasa – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $692 in Lhasa versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lhasa but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lhasa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Lhasa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.