Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Liuzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Liuzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $728 in Liuzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,126 in Liuzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $1,524 in Liuzhou, rent included.

Medellin costs about 39% more than Liuzhou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Liuzhou are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Liuzhou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$2.60 ¥17.61

130.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$15.49 ¥105

112.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$3.73 ¥25.21

90.08%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,155

$3.31 ¥22.40

-48.34%

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

$1.10 COP 3,950

$0.50 ¥3.35

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,799

$0.25 ¥1.70

212.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,037

$0.87 ¥5.88

93.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.07 ¥14.03

48.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,931

$1.62 ¥10.94

-32.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,537

$2.11 ¥14.29

-40.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$1.76 ¥11.92

-21.59%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,878

$1.46 ¥9.86

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$12.67 ¥85.7

-65.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$3.38 ¥22.85

66.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$11.00 ¥74.4

-19.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,403

$1.71 ¥11.57

36.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,802

$1.03 ¥6.99

2.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,409

$1.41 ¥9.51

6.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,956

$2.13 ¥14.38

-35.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,138

$0.67 ¥4.54

71.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,183

$0.90 ¥6.09

28.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,203

$0.84 ¥5.72

5.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$1.09 ¥7.40

-22.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,198

$3.66 ¥24.79

-37.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.3K

$11.95 ¥80.8

-10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,312

$0.84 ¥5.68

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,882

$2.72 ¥18.40

-9.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,076

$0.29 ¥1.96

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$16.95 ¥115

144.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,298

$1.41 ¥9.52

4.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,055

$0.26 ¥1.74

653.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$6.83 ¥46.23

13.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,431

$1.27 ¥8.62

-25.20%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$15.4K ¥104.0K

17.95%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$13.0K ¥87.9K

103.84%

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

$82.3 COP 295.7K

$46.14 ¥312

78.26%

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

$9.50 COP 34.2K

$9.98 ¥67.5

-4.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$10.42 ¥70.5

132.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$76.7 ¥519

-66.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$14.17 ¥95.9

34.09%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$4.99 ¥33.78

-21.24%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$230 ¥1,553

34.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$16.9K ¥114.6K

-64.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$37.87 ¥256

54.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.3K

$22.56 ¥153

43.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.8K

$60.2 ¥407

70.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.7K

$52.4 ¥355

106.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$221 ¥1,496

115.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$171 ¥1,155

121.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$386 ¥2,612

117.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$297 ¥2,011

143.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$3,155 ¥21.3K

-11.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,774 ¥12.0K

-31.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$585 ¥3,957

-12.50%

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 Liuzhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $221 in Liuzhou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Liuzhou, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $15.00 in Liuzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Medellin vs $223 in Liuzhou – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Liuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,013 in Medellin, $728 in Liuzhou – roughly 39% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,519 per month in Medellin and $1,093 in Liuzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Liuzhou, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $15.00 in Liuzhou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Liuzhou, where all-in costs run around $728, than in Medellin at $1,013. In Liuzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $728 in Liuzhou to $1,013 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Liuzhou. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.