Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Yangsan

For one person, living is cheaper in Yangsan: $1,543 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Medellin, Colombia
Yangsan, South Korea
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Yangsan
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,543
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Yangsan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Yangsan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,543 in Yangsan, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Yangsan $1,543

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,450 in Yangsan, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Yangsan $2,450

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,358 in Yangsan, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Yangsan $3,358

Medellin costs about 6% more than Yangsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Yangsan sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Yangsan by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Yangsan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.6K
$7.40 ₩9,924
9.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.9K
$48.46 ₩64.9K
-2.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$6.74 ₩9,038
40.95%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,540
$3.59 ₩4,807
-16.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,693
$1.85 ₩2,482
-2.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,469
$1.47 ₩1,973
-4.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.0K
$3.86 ₩5,169
-17.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.2K
$4.27 ₩5,726
34.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Yangsan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,778
$2.35 ₩3,154
-35.74%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,524
$3.23 ₩4,334
-26.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,606
$3.13 ₩4,189
-43.45%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,146
$2.74 ₩3,667
5.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.2K
$11.28 ₩15.1K
-9.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.2K
$10.33 ₩13.8K
-4.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.3K
$25.15 ₩33.7K
-44.37%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.6K
$11.28 ₩15.1K
-64.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,911
$3.64 ₩4,879
-57.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,907
$7.91 ₩10.6K
-72.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,910
$5.89 ₩7,890
-62.99%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,210
$5.94 ₩7,959
-67.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,029
$3.40 ₩4,554
-53.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,625
$2.78 ₩3,722
-58.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,934
$1.30 ₩1,739
-4.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$3.41 ₩4,568
16.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.3K
$18.63 ₩25.0K
-26.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,252
$2.37 ₩3,183
-29.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,145
$3.40 ₩4,563
-33.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Yangsan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,696
$1.11 ₩1,481
5.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 244.8K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,013
$3.50 ₩4,694
-63.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,480
$0.76 ₩1,021
169.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.1K
$16.72 ₩22.4K
-48.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,262
$1.41 ₩1,888
-4.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.8M
$38.9K ₩52.1M
-12.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.7M
$33.6K ₩45.0M
3.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Yangsan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 536.8K
$202 ₩270.2K
-15.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.9K
$36.76 ₩49.3K
-63.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.8K
$27.37 ₩36.7K
2.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Yangsan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 138.3K
$54.3 ₩72.7K
-19.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.4K
$13.94 ₩18.7K
23.31%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.9K
$11.86 ₩15.9K
-41.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Yangsan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$628 ₩841.9K
26.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.8M
$22.2K ₩29.7M
-58.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Yangsan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 268.1K
$105 ₩141.3K
-19.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 183.4K
$65.7 ₩88.1K
-11.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 427.1K
$94.9 ₩127.2K
42.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 309.7K
$128 ₩171.7K
-23.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Yangsan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$479 ₩641.8K
152.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$359 ₩481.7K
78.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$1,174 ₩1.6M
72.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$763 ₩1.0M
32.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.2M
$7,015 ₩9.4M
-40.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$5,644 ₩7.6M
-66.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Yangsan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$1,638 ₩2.2M
-59.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.22
159.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yangsan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Yangsan
$359 44% $282
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Yangsan
$487 63.9% $190
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Yangsan
$266 25.8% $54
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Yangsan
$164 3.5% $6
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Yangsan
$177 5% $8.4
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Yangsan
$12 * 87.5% $82
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Yangsan
$78 35.5% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $479 in Yangsan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Yangsan are about 2.5 times higher, 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 $47 in Medellin versus $48 in Yangsan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $487 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇰🇷 Yangsan
🕒 Local time
01:51 1:51 AM
15:51 3:51 PM
14 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
335,474
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Yangsan 14,720 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Yangsan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Yangsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Yangsan cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,314 in Yangsan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Yangsan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $479 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Yangsan?
Interestingly, groceries are about 39% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $628 in Yangsan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 enough for either Medellin or Yangsan?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,543 in Yangsan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Medellin or Yangsan more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Yangsan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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