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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Cucuta costs about 3% 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

$3.68 COP 12.0K

$2.82 ¥19.09

30.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.03 COP 78.1K

$24.08 ¥163

-0.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 23.8K

$4.97 ¥33.66

47.28%

Cappuccino

$0.99 COP 3,209

$2.76 ¥18.71

-64.13%

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

$0.88 COP 2,863

$0.43 ¥2.92

104.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 COP 1,136

$0.28 ¥1.88

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 COP 3,934

$1.14 ¥7.70

6.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 COP 7,205

$2.06 ¥13.97

7.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 COP 2,838

$1.81 ¥12.28

-51.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 COP 3,104

$1.39 ¥9.39

-31.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 COP 3,243

$0.93 ¥6.31

7.53%

Eggs

$2.12 COP 6,886

$1.94 ¥13.10

9.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.45 COP 17.7K

$13.76 ¥93.2

-60.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 COP 17.2K

$3.61 ¥24.41

46.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.29 COP 23.7K

$11.32 ¥76.6

-35.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 COP 8,275

$1.91 ¥12.94

33.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 COP 2,455

$1.22 ¥8.28

-38.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.70 COP 2,286

$1.50 ¥10.18

-53.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 COP 2,046

$1.02 ¥6.90

-38.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 COP 2,467

$0.71 ¥4.81

7.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 COP 2,070

$0.70 ¥4.76

-8.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 COP 1,901

$0.60 ¥4.09

-3.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 COP 2,431

$0.61 ¥4.16

22.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 COP 7,770

$3.40 ¥23.02

-29.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.84 COP 38.5K

$5.50 ¥37.19

115.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 COP 3,667

$0.95 ¥6.42

18.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 COP 5,581

$1.85 ¥12.53

-7.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 COP 2,175

$0.43 ¥2.94

55.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.69 COP 96.5K

$27.94 ¥189

6.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,600

$1.24 ¥8.38

13.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 COP 4,885

$0.28 ¥1.91

435.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 COP 17.2K

$4.16 ¥28.15

27.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,207

$1.17 ¥7.95

-15.38%

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

$17.6K COP 57.4M

$18.5K ¥125.0K

-4.43%

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

$26.0K COP 84.4M

$16.7K ¥112.7K

55.89%

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

$85.5 COP 277.9K

$44.66 ¥302

91.40%

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

$9.18 COP 29.9K

$11.53 ¥78.1

-20.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.24 COP 62.6K

$11.33 ¥76.7

69.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.55 COP 76.6K

$24.18 ¥164

-2.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 COP 28.7K

$11.55 ¥78.2

-23.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 COP 13.1K

$5.69 ¥38.53

-29.53%

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

$324 COP 1.1M

$330 ¥2,232

-1.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,243 COP 13.8M

$12.3K ¥83.5K

-65.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 COP 193.4K

$37.54 ¥254

58.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.18 COP 104.6K

$38.48 ¥260

-16.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 COP 272.7K

$66.8 ¥452

25.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 COP 227.3K

$50.0 ¥339

39.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 COP 826.4K

$320 ¥2,165

-20.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 COP 550.1K

$183 ¥1,237

-7.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 COP 1.9M

$611 ¥4,138

-5.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 COP 1.2M

$329 ¥2,224

9.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,770 COP 5.8M

$3,785 ¥25.6K

-53.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,295 COP 4.2M

$1,925 ¥13.0K

-32.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 COP 1.6M

$1,278 ¥8,647

-60.87%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $254 in Cucuta versus $320 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 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 Cucuta versus $24.00 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $198 – 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: $696 in Cucuta, $677 in Chengdu – roughly 3% apart. Cucuta costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

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