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: $630 in Chaozhou versus $1,028 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,001 in Chaozhou versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,372 in Chaozhou versus $2,144 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

$2.14 ¥14.43

$6.00 COP 20.6K

-64.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.07 ¥156

$32.84 COP 112.5K

-29.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.28 ¥22.14

$7.42 COP 25.4K

-55.80%

Cappuccino

$1.37 ¥9.24

$1.65 COP 5,659

-16.97%

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

$0.51 ¥3.43

$1.07 COP 3,663

-52.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.76 COP 2,607

-64.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ¥7.67

$1.72 COP 5,908

-34.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ¥19.07

$3.20 COP 11.0K

-11.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.50

$1.05 COP 3,597

76.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ¥9.23

$1.31 COP 4,479

4.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.65

$1.34 COP 4,591

-48.51%

Eggs

$1.03 ¥6.99

$2.19 COP 7,521

-52.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 ¥59.3

$4.41 COP 15.1K

98.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.35 ¥15.88

$5.69 COP 19.5K

-58.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.25 ¥76.0

$8.52 COP 29.2K

32.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ¥13.79

$2.34 COP 8,023

-12.82%

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.59

$1.11 COP 3,804

-25.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.48

$1.52 COP 5,210

-46.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 ¥11.51

$1.37 COP 4,680

24.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 ¥3.61

$1.15 COP 3,950

-53.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 ¥2.91

$1.18 COP 4,043

-63.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ¥2.95

$0.84 COP 2,885

-47.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.86 COP 2,931

-68.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 ¥18.50

$2.26 COP 7,753

21.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ¥74.6

$11.60 COP 39.8K

-4.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ¥4.50

$1.20 COP 4,109

-44.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 ¥7.32

$2.48 COP 8,484

-56.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.79 COP 2,721

-65.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.84 ¥114

$40.83 COP 139.9K

-58.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 ¥6.24

$1.47 COP 5,023

-37.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.74

$1.92 COP 6,568

-86.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.85 ¥46.27

$7.77 COP 26.6K

-11.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ¥7.30

$1.01 COP 3,464

6.93%

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

$16.5K ¥111.2K

$17.7K COP 60.5M

-6.81%

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

$17.2K ¥116.3K

$26.5K COP 90.7M

-34.94%

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

$38.82 ¥262

$81.1 COP 277.9K

-52.13%

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

$4.12 ¥27.81

$9.43 COP 32.3K

-56.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.60 ¥78.4

$23.86 COP 81.8K

-51.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.52 ¥281

$25.99 COP 89.1K

59.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.71 ¥92.6

$18.71 COP 64.1K

-26.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 ¥39.74

$4.09 COP 14.0K

43.77%

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

$460 ¥3,105

$315 COP 1.1M

46.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ¥113.3K

$6,022 COP 20.6M

178.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.30 ¥83.1

$59.7 COP 204.6K

-79.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.52 ¥179

$31.97 COP 109.6K

-17.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 ¥560

$101 COP 346.9K

-18.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.6 ¥369

$105 COP 360.3K

-48.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 ¥1,882

$485 COP 1.7M

-42.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 ¥1,243

$365 COP 1.3M

-49.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 ¥3,991

$827 COP 2.8M

-28.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 ¥2,443

$730 COP 2.5M

-50.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,898 ¥19.6K

$2,992 COP 10.3M

-3.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,761 ¥11.9K

$1,314 COP 4.5M

34.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$483 ¥3,266

$551 COP 1.9M

-12.23%

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: June 16, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $279 in Chaozhou and $485 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 14% 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 63% in total monthly costs ($630 vs $1,028 including rent). Chaozhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Medellin earns 14% 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: $279 in Chaozhou versus $485 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $460 in Chaozhou versus $315 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 $630 in Chaozhou versus $1,028 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 63% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.