Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Cucuta Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Cucuta

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $689 per month in Chengdu vs $703 in Cucuta, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,083 per month in Chengdu vs $1,114 in Cucuta, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,477 per month in Chengdu vs $1,524 in Cucuta, rent included.

Chengdu is about 2% cheaper than Cucuta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chengdu and Cucuta are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 49% lower, Cucuta 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.85 ¥19.30

$3.69 COP 13.2K

-22.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ¥162

$23.71 COP 84.7K

1.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.72

$7.47 COP 26.7K

-33.20%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ¥18.73

$0.99 COP 3,526

179.80%

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

$0.46 ¥3.14

$0.89 COP 3,173

-48.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.06

$0.34 COP 1,230

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ¥7.62

$1.15 COP 4,110

-1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.43

$2.22 COP 7,913

-4.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.18

$0.86 COP 3,085

109.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ¥9.38

$0.92 COP 3,301

51.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.09

$0.94 COP 3,368

-4.26%

Eggs

$1.86 ¥12.59

$2.21 COP 7,899

-15.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 ¥92.1

$5.30 COP 18.9K

156.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ¥24.07

$5.26 COP 18.8K

-32.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥76.0

$7.33 COP 26.2K

53.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.61

$2.42 COP 8,652

-23.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.99

$0.75 COP 2,672

57.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.15

$0.75 COP 2,692

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥7.01

$0.63 COP 2,254

65.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.73

$0.75 COP 2,686

-6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.71

$0.59 COP 2,093

18.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.63 COP 2,238

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.12

$0.72 COP 2,566

-15.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 ¥21.91

$2.39 COP 8,530

35.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 ¥36.77

$10.81 COP 38.6K

-49.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥6.78

$1.09 COP 3,900

-8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥12.67

$1.79 COP 6,398

4.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.70 COP 2,483

-41.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.31 ¥185

$29.51 COP 105.4K

-7.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ¥8.28

$1.43 COP 5,103

-14.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$1.51 COP 5,390

-82.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 ¥27.62

$5.09 COP 18.2K

-19.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.69

$0.99 COP 3,522

15.15%

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

$18.7K ¥126.6K

$18.2K COP 65.0M

2.91%

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

$16.0K ¥108.4K

$25.9K COP 92.4M

-38.03%

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

$45.05 ¥305

$86.4 COP 308.5K

-47.85%

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

$11.69 ¥79.1

$9.04 COP 32.3K

29.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥77.0

$19.60 COP 70.0K

-41.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.49 ¥166

$23.64 COP 84.4K

3.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ¥75.5

$8.79 COP 31.4K

26.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 ¥37.45

$3.87 COP 13.8K

43.15%

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

$333 ¥2,249

$331 COP 1.2M

0.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥82.1K

$4,202 COP 15.0M

188.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.92 ¥256

$59.2 COP 211.5K

-35.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.57 ¥261

$33.31 COP 118.9K

15.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 ¥456

$81.8 COP 292.0K

-17.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.7 ¥343

$71.7 COP 256.0K

-29.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 ¥2,149

$252 COP 900.5K

26.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ¥1,213

$171 COP 610.6K

4.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 ¥4,128

$586 COP 2.1M

4.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ¥2,263

$357 COP 1.3M

-6.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,810 ¥25.8K

$1,554 COP 5.5M

145.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,922 ¥13.0K

$1,144 COP 4.1M

67.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,257 ¥8,501

$454 COP 1.6M

177.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

13.18

-68.06%

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

Last update for Chengdu: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cucuta: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Chengdu versus $252 in Cucuta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 177% higher in Chengdu, 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 $24.00 in Chengdu versus $24.00 in Cucuta. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in Chengdu vs $163 in Cucuta – so Cucuta wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Chengdu vs Cucuta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $689 in Chengdu, $703 in Cucuta – roughly 2% apart. Cucuta costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,033 per month in Chengdu and $1,055 in Cucuta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengdu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Chengdu and $24.00 in Cucuta. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $689 in Chengdu and $703 in Cucuta. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $689 in Chengdu and $703 in Cucuta, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Chengdu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Chengdu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cucuta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.