Cost of Living Comparison Between Bengbu and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Bengbu and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $649 in Bengbu versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,061 in Bengbu versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,473 in Bengbu versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Bengbu costs roughly 36% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bengbu 52% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ¥19.23

$5.99 COP 21.3K

-52.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.21 ¥150

$32.86 COP 116.9K

-32.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥33.71

$7.09 COP 25.2K

-29.76%

Cappuccino

$3.18 ¥21.53

$1.71 COP 6,093

85.96%

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

$0.45 ¥3.03

$1.10 COP 3,910

-59.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.77

$0.78 COP 2,771

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.81 ¥5.49

$1.68 COP 5,976

-51.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥13.75

$3.07 COP 10.9K

-33.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ¥13.80

$1.09 COP 3,892

87.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ¥6.88

$1.26 COP 4,492

-19.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.88

$1.38 COP 4,905

-47.83%

Eggs

$1.47 ¥9.94

$2.19 COP 7,799

-32.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 ¥63.0

$4.40 COP 15.7K

111.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.85 ¥19.27

$5.63 COP 20.0K

-49.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.76 ¥59.3

$8.89 COP 31.6K

-1.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 ¥9.16

$2.34 COP 8,319

-42.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.41

$1.06 COP 3,764

-10.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 ¥9.30

$1.50 COP 5,355

-8.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.81

$1.38 COP 4,906

-48.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 ¥3.88

$1.15 COP 4,097

-50.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ¥3.70

$1.16 COP 4,141

-52.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ¥4.84

$0.89 COP 3,170

-20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.95

$0.84 COP 2,986

-48.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 ¥19.32

$2.28 COP 8,116

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.04 ¥40.90

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-43.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ¥4.51

$1.20 COP 4,268

-44.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ¥9.17

$2.47 COP 8,793

-45.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.82

$0.86 COP 3,045

-68.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.96 ¥115

$41.40 COP 147.3K

-59.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.29

$1.47 COP 5,245

3.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$1.96 COP 6,984

-81.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.57 ¥58.1

$7.74 COP 27.5K

10.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.59

$0.95 COP 3,397

17.89%

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

$17.3K ¥117.2K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

-4.57%

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

$14.3K ¥97.1K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

-45.89%

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

$34.21 ¥232

$82.3 COP 292.7K

-58.41%

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

$4.93 ¥33.36

$9.50 COP 33.8K

-48.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.15 ¥55.2

$24.23 COP 86.2K

-66.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.98 ¥284

$25.89 COP 92.1K

62.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.95 ¥94.5

$19.00 COP 67.6K

-26.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.47 ¥37.04

$3.93 COP 14.0K

39.19%

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

$410 ¥2,777

$309 COP 1.1M

32.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K ¥124.3K

$5,965 COP 21.2M

207.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.07 ¥292

$58.7 COP 208.7K

-26.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.20 ¥225

$32.35 COP 115.1K

2.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 ¥458

$103 COP 365.1K

-34.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.8 ¥561

$108 COP 385.8K

-23.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 ¥1,882

$476 COP 1.7M

-41.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 ¥1,253

$379 COP 1.3M

-51.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 ¥3,977

$838 COP 3.0M

-29.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 ¥2,485

$724 COP 2.6M

-49.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,084 ¥20.9K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

10.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,783 ¥12.1K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

47.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 ¥4,417

$512 COP 1.8M

27.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

13.43

-71.18%

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

Last update for Bengbu: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Bengbu and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bengbu pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Bengbu vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $158 vs $188 per month, with Bengbu 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

Bengbu vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bengbu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bengbu pays 27% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $278 in Bengbu versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $410 in Bengbu versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $649 in Bengbu versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bengbu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bengbu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bengbu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Bengbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.