Cost of Living Comparison Between Chaozhou and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Chaozhou and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $626 in Chaozhou versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $994 in Chaozhou versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,361 in Chaozhou versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Chaozhou costs roughly 39% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chaozhou 53% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.12 ¥14.55

$5.92 COP 21.4K

-64.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ¥158

$32.75 COP 118.2K

-29.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.39 ¥23.21

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-52.92%

Cappuccino

$1.37 ¥9.36

$1.70 COP 6,140

-19.41%

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

$0.47 ¥3.19

$1.10 COP 3,966

-57.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.84

$0.72 COP 2,605

-62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 ¥7.68

$1.67 COP 6,022

-32.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ¥18.87

$3.10 COP 11.2K

-10.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ¥12.18

$1.06 COP 3,809

67.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ¥9.69

$1.25 COP 4,497

12.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.94

$1.39 COP 5,022

-48.20%

Eggs

$1.03 ¥7.04

$2.26 COP 8,168

-54.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 ¥60.0

$4.33 COP 15.6K

102.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.34 ¥16.01

$5.84 COP 21.1K

-59.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 ¥74.9

$8.83 COP 31.9K

23.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.50

$2.24 COP 8,099

-5.36%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.55

$1.08 COP 3,882

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 ¥6.02

$1.53 COP 5,522

-42.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 ¥11.62

$1.37 COP 4,950

24.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 ¥4.03

$1.13 COP 4,078

-47.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 ¥2.98

$1.12 COP 4,036

-61.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ¥3.00

$0.85 COP 3,057

-48.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.84

$0.91 COP 3,281

-70.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 ¥18.68

$2.33 COP 8,414

17.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.08 ¥75.9

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥4.94

$1.19 COP 4,309

-39.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 ¥7.81

$2.37 COP 8,553

-51.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥2.00

$0.79 COP 2,838

-63.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.82 ¥115

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-59.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 ¥6.30

$1.44 COP 5,184

-36.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.77

$1.91 COP 6,901

-86.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.60 ¥45.20

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-17.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥7.43

$0.94 COP 3,385

15.96%

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

$16.3K ¥111.4K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

-9.27%

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

$17.8K ¥122.1K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-33.49%

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

$38.52 ¥264

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-54.12%

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

$4.10 ¥28.10

$9.60 COP 34.7K

-57.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.58 ¥79.3

$24.16 COP 87.2K

-52.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.01 ¥288

$25.88 COP 93.4K

62.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.73 ¥94.1

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-27.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 ¥41.21

$3.92 COP 14.1K

53.57%

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

$463 ¥3,174

$306 COP 1.1M

51.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥117.6K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

190.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.15 ¥83.2

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-79.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ¥178

$31.82 COP 114.9K

-18.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 ¥576

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-15.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.0 ¥377

$107 COP 386.8K

-48.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 ¥1,931

$487 COP 1.8M

-42.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 ¥1,300

$368 COP 1.3M

-48.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 ¥3,992

$826 COP 3.0M

-29.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 ¥2,507

$716 COP 2.6M

-48.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,794 ¥19.1K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-4.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 ¥13.5K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

40.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$468 ¥3,206

$546 COP 2.0M

-14.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.56

13.43

-73.49%

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

Last update for Chaozhou: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Chaozhou and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 17% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Chaozhou vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $190 per month, with Chaozhou 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

Chaozhou vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chaozhou and Medellin differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($626 vs $1,034 including rent). Chaozhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Medellin earns 17% less. 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: $282 in Chaozhou versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Chaozhou versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $626 in Chaozhou versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chaozhou but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chaozhou 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 Chaozhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.