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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Medellin vs $728 in Liuzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Medellin vs $1,126 in Liuzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Medellin vs $1,523 in Liuzhou, rent included.

Medellin costs about 42% more than Liuzhou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Liuzhou are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Liuzhou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$2.55 ¥17.26

141.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$15.47 ¥105

110.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$3.60 ¥24.33

103.89%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$3.44 ¥23.24

-50.00%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.55 ¥3.69

90.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.25 ¥1.70

208.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$0.95 ¥6.40

77.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.11 ¥14.28

50.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.65 ¥11.13

-36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$2.15 ¥14.51

-39.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.70 ¥11.48

-17.65%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.48 ¥10.03

45.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$12.62 ¥85.3

-65.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.42 ¥23.11

71.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.92 ¥73.8

-20.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.63 ¥11.02

39.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.04 ¥7.04

6.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.35 ¥9.15

13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$2.12 ¥14.31

-36.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.67 ¥4.50

68.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.91 ¥6.18

24.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.91 ¥6.16

-6.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.13 ¥7.65

-19.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$3.60 ¥24.35

-35.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$9.75 ¥65.9

26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.83 ¥5.57

44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.85 ¥19.28

-12.63%

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

$16.56 ¥112

144.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.36 ¥9.18

4.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.28 ¥1.91

585.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$6.88 ¥46.47

11.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.27 ¥8.55

-22.05%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$15.5K ¥104.5K

16.55%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$12.6K ¥85.4K

110.73%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$44.42 ¥300

81.92%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$9.69 ¥65.5

2.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$10.52 ¥71.1

129.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$74.3 ¥502

-66.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$13.88 ¥93.8

37.97%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.76 ¥32.14

-16.39%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$230 ¥1,557

32.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$17.2K ¥116.5K

-64.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$38.73 ¥262

50.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$23.13 ¥156

39.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$59.3 ¥401

69.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$52.5 ¥354

105.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$223 ¥1,505

113.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$171 ¥1,157

119.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$383 ¥2,587

120.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$294 ¥1,989

148.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$3,117 ¥21.1K

3.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,826 ¥12.3K

-24.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$580 ¥3,921

6.30%

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 Liuzhou: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Medellin versus $223 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 6% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $15.00 in Liuzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Medellin vs $219 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: $1,031 in Medellin, $728 in Liuzhou – roughly 42% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,546 per month in Medellin and $1,092 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 14% 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 $1,031. 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 $1,031 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.