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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $694 in Lhasa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,124 in Lhasa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,555 in Lhasa.

Living in Medellin is roughly 44% more expensive than in Lhasa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Lhasa 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.9K

$3.58 ¥24.17

65.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 105.2K

$27.42 ¥185

20.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.7K

$7.13 ¥48.17

4.21%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,276

$3.08 ¥20.80

-46.43%

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

$1.10 COP 3,514

$0.41 ¥2.75

168.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,491

$0.34 ¥2.27

129.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,484

$1.24 ¥8.37

38.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.1K

$1.73 ¥11.67

83.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,521

$2.07 ¥13.98

-46.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,015

$1.74 ¥11.75

-27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,407

$0.80 ¥5.39

72.50%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,950

$2.39 ¥16.17

-8.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.3K

$6.63 ¥44.78

-32.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.5K

$2.72 ¥18.37

112.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.6K

$10.19 ¥68.8

-11.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,405

$2.13 ¥14.41

8.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,397

$1.68 ¥11.34

-36.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,838

$1.36 ¥9.17

11.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,327

$0.76 ¥5.16

78.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,599

$0.67 ¥4.51

68.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,738

$0.91 ¥6.12

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,876

$0.61 ¥4.10

47.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,861

$0.74 ¥4.98

21.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,128

$3.04 ¥20.52

-26.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.7K

$11.91 ¥80.5

1.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,793

$0.74 ¥5.02

60.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,920

$1.64 ¥11.11

51.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,723

$0.29 ¥1.96

193.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 132.8K

$16.41 ¥111

153.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,518

$1.41 ¥9.53

0.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,223

$0.26 ¥1.74

650.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.2K

$6.64 ¥44.85

18.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,160

$1.30 ¥8.79

-23.85%

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

$17.6K COP 56.2M

$19.6K ¥132.6K

-10.34%

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

$26.8K COP 85.5M

$16.7K ¥112.9K

60.26%

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

$83.0 COP 264.9K

$46.23 ¥312

79.56%

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

$9.70 COP 30.9K

$9.89 ¥66.8

-1.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 75.0K

$15.39 ¥104

52.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 80.6K

$41.28 ¥279

-38.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.9K

$14.06 ¥95.0

35.85%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.6K

$7.61 ¥51.4

-48.09%

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

$316 COP 1.0M

$331 ¥2,239

-4.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.1M

$16.9K ¥114.0K

-64.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.4K

$29.97 ¥202

100.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 101.5K

$30.26 ¥204

5.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 324.4K

$70.1 ¥474

45.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 342.8K

$45.38 ¥307

136.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$278 ¥1,879

70.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$185 ¥1,247

102.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$592 ¥3,997

43.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$363 ¥2,455

97.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.4M

$3,181 ¥21.5K

2.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.6M

$1,938 ¥13.1K

-25.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$2,037 ¥13.8K

-69.35%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Lhasa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $278 in Lhasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lhasa pays 226% 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 for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $191 per month, with Lhasa 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 Lhasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Lhasa differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,003 vs $694 including rent). Lhasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 226% lower in Lhasa. 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: $475 in Medellin versus $278 in Lhasa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 $694 in Lhasa versus $1,003 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 44% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.