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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Cucuta costs about 2% more than Chengdu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.69 COP 13.2K

$2.85 ¥19.30

29.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.71 COP 84.7K

$24.00 ¥162

-1.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 COP 26.7K

$4.99 ¥33.72

49.70%

Cappuccino

$0.99 COP 3,526

$2.77 ¥18.73

-64.26%

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

$0.89 COP 3,173

$0.46 ¥3.14

93.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 COP 1,230

$0.30 ¥2.06

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 COP 4,110

$1.13 ¥7.62

1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 COP 7,913

$2.13 ¥14.43

4.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 COP 3,085

$1.80 ¥12.18

-52.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 COP 3,301

$1.39 ¥9.38

-33.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 COP 3,368

$0.90 ¥6.09

4.44%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,899

$1.86 ¥12.59

18.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.30 COP 18.9K

$13.62 ¥92.1

-61.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 COP 18.8K

$3.56 ¥24.07

47.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.33 COP 26.2K

$11.23 ¥76.0

-34.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 COP 8,652

$1.86 ¥12.61

30.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 COP 2,672

$1.18 ¥7.99

-36.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 COP 2,692

$1.50 ¥10.15

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 COP 2,254

$1.04 ¥7.01

-39.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 COP 2,686

$0.70 ¥4.73

7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 COP 2,093

$0.70 ¥4.71

-15.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 COP 2,238

$0.56 ¥3.81

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,566

$0.61 ¥4.12

18.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 COP 8,530

$3.24 ¥21.91

-26.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 COP 38.6K

$5.44 ¥36.77

98.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 COP 3,900

$1.00 ¥6.78

9.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 COP 6,398

$1.87 ¥12.67

-4.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 COP 2,483

$0.41 ¥2.77

70.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.51 COP 105.4K

$27.31 ¥185

8.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 COP 5,103

$1.22 ¥8.28

17.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 COP 5,390

$0.26 ¥1.75

480.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 COP 18.2K

$4.09 ¥27.62

24.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,522

$1.14 ¥7.69

-13.16%

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

$18.2K COP 65.0M

$18.7K ¥126.6K

-2.83%

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

$25.9K COP 92.4M

$16.0K ¥108.4K

61.37%

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

$86.4 COP 308.5K

$45.05 ¥305

91.76%

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

$9.04 COP 32.3K

$11.69 ¥79.1

-22.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.60 COP 70.0K

$11.38 ¥77.0

72.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.64 COP 84.4K

$24.49 ¥166

-3.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.79 COP 31.4K

$11.16 ¥75.5

-21.24%

Cinema Ticket

$3.87 COP 13.8K

$5.54 ¥37.45

-30.14%

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

$331 COP 1.2M

$333 ¥2,249

-0.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,202 COP 15.0M

$12.1K ¥82.1K

-65.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 COP 211.5K

$37.92 ¥256

56.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.31 COP 118.9K

$38.57 ¥261

-13.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 COP 292.0K

$67.4 ¥456

21.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 COP 256.0K

$50.7 ¥343

41.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 COP 900.5K

$318 ¥2,149

-20.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 COP 610.6K

$179 ¥1,213

-4.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 COP 2.1M

$610 ¥4,128

-3.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 COP 1.3M

$335 ¥2,263

6.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,554 COP 5.5M

$3,810 ¥25.8K

-59.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,144 COP 4.1M

$1,922 ¥13.0K

-40.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$454 COP 1.6M

$1,257 ¥8,501

-63.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.18

4.21

213.06%

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

Last update for Cucuta: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $252 in Cucuta versus $318 in Chengdu. 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 Cucuta versus $24.00 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $163 vs $196 – making Cucuta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Cucuta vs Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,055 per month in Cucuta and $1,033 in Chengdu. 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 Cucuta and $24.00 in Chengdu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $703 in Cucuta and $689 in Chengdu. 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 $703 in Cucuta and $689 in Chengdu, 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.