Cost of Living Comparison Between Changsha and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Changsha and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $768 in Changsha versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,267 in Changsha versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,765 in Changsha versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Changsha costs roughly 54% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Changsha is 44% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 ¥19.79

$8.02 COP 25.0K

-63.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.16 ¥148

$47.87 COP 149.4K

-53.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥33.57

$9.89 COP 30.8K

-49.34%

Cappuccino

$3.50 ¥23.46

$3.13 COP 9,767

11.82%

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

$0.47 ¥3.14

$1.91 COP 5,954

-75.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.66

$1.51 COP 4,712

-83.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ¥8.67

$3.12 COP 9,747

-58.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ¥13.24

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-65.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ¥13.38

$1.44 COP 4,509

38.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 ¥15.52

$2.49 COP 7,759

-6.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.42

$1.77 COP 5,535

-45.76%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.52

$2.96 COP 9,235

-41.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.02 ¥87.2

$10.07 COP 31.4K

29.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.91 ¥26.17

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-61.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.71 ¥78.4

$14.30 COP 44.6K

-18.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 ¥18.91

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-31.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ¥9.30

$1.61 COP 5,019

-13.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 ¥12.33

$2.25 COP 7,007

-18.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 ¥12.83

$2.25 COP 7,028

-14.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.36

$2.04 COP 6,375

-53.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 ¥10.95

$1.54 COP 4,790

5.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.30

$1.17 COP 3,651

-45.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ¥3.47

$1.31 COP 4,077

-60.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ¥19.78

$3.90 COP 12.2K

-24.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.53 ¥83.9

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-10.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ¥6.94

$1.74 COP 5,439

-40.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ¥10.66

$2.87 COP 8,956

-44.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$1.22 COP 3,792

-70.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.64 ¥98.0

$80.5 COP 251.1K

-81.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.25

$1.31 COP 4,084

16.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$2.19 COP 6,825

-86.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 ¥29.24

$8.71 COP 27.2K

-49.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.44

$1.37 COP 4,260

-8.03%

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

$19.2K ¥128.8K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

-30.93%

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

$17.5K ¥116.9K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-51.20%

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

$55.4 ¥371

$177 COP 553.2K

-68.76%

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

$8.91 ¥59.7

$13.88 COP 43.3K

-35.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.53 ¥90.6

$29.72 COP 92.8K

-54.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 ¥368

$44.88 COP 140.1K

22.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.82 ¥160

$17.12 COP 53.4K

39.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.32 ¥42.33

$6.65 COP 20.7K

-4.96%

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

$321 ¥2,149

$813 COP 2.5M

-60.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ¥111.8K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

81.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.3 ¥551

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-8.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.29 ¥230

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-41.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 ¥598

$138 COP 431.2K

-35.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 ¥397

$102 COP 318.7K

-42.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 ¥1,761

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-75.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ¥1,130

$663 COP 2.1M

-74.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 ¥3,693

$1,888 COP 5.9M

-70.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 ¥2,523

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-63.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,481 ¥16.6K

$4,183 COP 13.1M

-40.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,416 ¥9,482

$1,675 COP 5.2M

-15.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 ¥7,246

$678 COP 2.1M

59.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

10.94

-68.37%

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

Last update for Changsha: September 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $263 in Changsha and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changsha pays 60% 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 Changsha vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $305 per month, with Changsha 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

Changsha vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changsha and Medellin differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($768 vs $1,681 including rent). Changsha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 60% higher in Changsha, 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: $263 in Changsha versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changsha – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $768 per month in Changsha versus $1,681 in Medellin – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $768 in Changsha versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Changsha but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Changsha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Changsha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.