Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Luoyang Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Luoyang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $619 in Luoyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $987 in Luoyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,354 in Luoyang.

Living in Medellin is roughly 66% more expensive than in Luoyang, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Luoyang 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$3.43 ¥23.21

79.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$27.35 ¥185

19.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.13 ¥34.66

43.08%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$3.35 ¥22.65

-48.66%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.40 ¥2.71

162.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.23 ¥1.55

234.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.20 ¥8.10

40.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.78 ¥18.76

14.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.74 ¥11.73

-39.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$2.05 ¥13.88

-36.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.94 ¥6.34

48.94%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.39 ¥9.42

55.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$12.59 ¥85.1

-65.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.17 ¥21.42

85.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$8.26 ¥55.8

4.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$0.89 ¥6.01

156.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.21 ¥8.18

-8.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.37 ¥9.24

11.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.09 ¥7.37

23.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.69 ¥4.66

63.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.96 ¥6.48

17.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.44 ¥2.97

93.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.73 ¥4.96

24.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$1.59 ¥10.71

47.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$13.33 ¥90.1

-7.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.40 ¥2.74

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.99 ¥13.47

25.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.27 ¥1.82

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$17.01 ¥115

138.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.09 ¥7.38

30.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.32 ¥2.18

500.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$6.59 ¥44.55

16.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.17 ¥7.94

-15.38%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$19.5K ¥131.8K

-7.57%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$16.5K ¥111.4K

61.55%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$40.16 ¥271

101.22%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$5.72 ¥38.64

73.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$9.63 ¥65.1

151.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$20.63 ¥139

21.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$11.33 ¥76.6

69.02%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$5.08 ¥34.31

-21.65%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$184 ¥1,246

65.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$17.3K ¥116.8K

-64.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$45.95 ¥311

26.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$27.67 ¥187

16.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$61.1 ¥413

64.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$74.3 ¥502

45.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$173 ¥1,169

175.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$116 ¥786

223.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$406 ¥2,746

107.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$212 ¥1,433

244.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,069 ¥14.0K

55.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,382 ¥9,337

-0.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$621 ¥4,195

-0.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.45

201.80%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Luoyang: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $173 in Luoyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luoyang pays 1% 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 Luoyang. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $195, 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 Luoyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Luoyang wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Luoyang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Luoyang. 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: $477 in Medellin versus $173 in Luoyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $184 in Luoyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $619 in Luoyang versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Luoyang but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Luoyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Luoyang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $619 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Luoyang hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Luoyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.