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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $677 per month in Chengdu vs $696 in Cucuta, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in Chengdu vs $1,113 in Cucuta, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,472 per month in Chengdu vs $1,530 in Cucuta, rent included.

Chengdu is about 3% 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

$2.82 ¥19.09

$3.68 COP 12.0K

-23.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.08 ¥163

$24.03 COP 78.1K

0.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 ¥33.66

$7.32 COP 23.8K

-32.10%

Cappuccino

$2.76 ¥18.71

$0.99 COP 3,209

178.79%

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

$0.43 ¥2.92

$0.88 COP 2,863

-51.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$0.35 COP 1,136

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ¥7.70

$1.21 COP 3,934

-5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.97

$2.22 COP 7,205

-7.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ¥12.28

$0.87 COP 2,838

108.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ¥9.39

$0.95 COP 3,104

46.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.31

$1.00 COP 3,243

-7.00%

Eggs

$1.94 ¥13.10

$2.12 COP 6,886

-8.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.76 ¥93.2

$5.45 COP 17.7K

152.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 ¥24.41

$5.29 COP 17.2K

-31.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.32 ¥76.6

$7.29 COP 23.7K

55.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ¥12.94

$2.55 COP 8,275

-25.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.28

$0.75 COP 2,455

62.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.18

$0.70 COP 2,286

114.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.90

$0.63 COP 2,046

61.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.81

$0.76 COP 2,467

-6.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.76

$0.64 COP 2,070

9.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.09

$0.58 COP 1,901

3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.16

$0.75 COP 2,431

-18.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ¥23.02

$2.39 COP 7,770

42.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.50 ¥37.19

$11.84 COP 38.5K

-53.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥6.42

$1.13 COP 3,667

-15.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ¥12.53

$1.72 COP 5,581

7.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.67 COP 2,175

-35.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.94 ¥189

$29.69 COP 96.5K

-5.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 ¥8.38

$1.41 COP 4,600

-12.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ¥1.91

$1.50 COP 4,885

-81.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 ¥28.15

$5.30 COP 17.2K

-21.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.95

$0.99 COP 3,207

18.18%

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

$18.5K ¥125.0K

$17.6K COP 57.4M

4.64%

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

$16.7K ¥112.7K

$26.0K COP 84.4M

-35.85%

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

$44.66 ¥302

$85.5 COP 277.9K

-47.75%

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

$11.53 ¥78.1

$9.18 COP 29.9K

25.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.33 ¥76.7

$19.24 COP 62.6K

-41.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.18 ¥164

$23.55 COP 76.6K

2.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.55 ¥78.2

$8.82 COP 28.7K

30.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.69 ¥38.53

$4.01 COP 13.1K

41.90%

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

$330 ¥2,232

$324 COP 1.1M

1.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ¥83.5K

$4,243 COP 13.8M

190.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.54 ¥254

$59.5 COP 193.4K

-36.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.48 ¥260

$32.18 COP 104.6K

19.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.8 ¥452

$83.9 COP 272.7K

-20.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.0 ¥339

$69.9 COP 227.3K

-28.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 ¥2,165

$254 COP 826.4K

25.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 ¥1,237

$169 COP 550.1K

8.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ¥4,138

$579 COP 1.9M

5.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 ¥2,224

$359 COP 1.2M

-8.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,785 ¥25.6K

$1,770 COP 5.8M

113.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,925 ¥13.0K

$1,295 COP 4.2M

48.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,278 ¥8,647

$500 COP 1.6M

155.56%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Cucuta: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $320 in Chengdu versus $254 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 156% 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 – $198 in Chengdu vs $166 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: $677 in Chengdu, $696 in Cucuta – roughly 3% apart. Cucuta costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,015 per month in Chengdu and $1,043 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 $677 in Chengdu and $696 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 $677 in Chengdu and $696 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.