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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,321 per month in Cucuta vs $763 in Chengdu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,076 per month in Cucuta vs $1,225 in Chengdu, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,831 per month in Cucuta vs $1,688 in Chengdu, rent included.

Cucuta costs about 73% more than Chengdu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Cucuta and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Cucuta 4% lower, Chengdu 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.05 COP 22.2K

$2.90 ¥19.46

143.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.76 COP 128.6K

$20.18 ¥135

101.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.7K

$5.18 ¥34.79

81.85%

Cappuccino

$2.53 COP 7,987

$2.94 ¥19.70

-13.95%

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

$1.44 COP 4,533

$0.48 ¥3.19

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 COP 3,112

$0.28 ¥1.89

253.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 COP 8,179

$1.46 ¥9.78

77.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 COP 12.1K

$2.50 ¥16.75

53.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,772

$1.76 ¥11.82

-14.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 COP 7,939

$1.64 ¥11.00

53.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,133

$0.94 ¥6.32

73.40%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,896

$1.54 ¥10.30

83.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.07 COP 22.3K

$14.19 ¥95.2

-50.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.04 COP 34.8K

$3.51 ¥23.54

214.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 COP 39.9K

$11.04 ¥74.1

14.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 COP 11.5K

$1.82 ¥12.21

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,762

$1.26 ¥8.47

19.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 COP 5,952

$1.06 ¥7.11

78.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 COP 5,927

$1.25 ¥8.39

50.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 COP 4,535

$0.69 ¥4.64

108.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,667

$0.72 ¥4.84

105.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,791

$0.73 ¥4.91

64.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 COP 3,464

$0.59 ¥3.93

86.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 COP 12.9K

$3.63 ¥24.33

12.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 COP 43.8K

$5.47 ¥36.68

153.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,498

$0.79 ¥5.29

81.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 COP 9,208

$1.53 ¥10.27

90.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,931

$0.43 ¥2.91

190.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.95 ¥167

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 COP 4,856

$1.32 ¥8.82

16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 COP 6,688

$0.29 ¥1.94

631.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.71 COP 30.7K

$4.38 ¥29.37

121.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,117

$1.23 ¥8.22

5.69%

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

$23.3K COP 73.5M

$19.4K ¥130.0K

20.28%

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

$33.7K COP 106.3M

$17.4K ¥116.9K

93.43%

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

$108 COP 341.3K

$41.04 ¥275

163.57%

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

$15.01 COP 47.4K

$9.46 ¥63.5

58.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.72 COP 87.5K

$12.83 ¥86.1

116.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.59 COP 115.5K

$27.45 ¥184

33.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.02 ¥74.0

Cinema Ticket

$7.25 COP 22.9K

$6.02 ¥40.41

20.43%

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

$701 COP 2.2M

$410 ¥2,751

70.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,768 COP 21.4M

$14.8K ¥99.1K

-54.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 COP 277.8K

$28.78 ¥193

205.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.3 COP 202.9K

$29.21 ¥196

120.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 COP 422.7K

$60.8 ¥408

120.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 COP 373.8K

$52.7 ¥353

125.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 COP 2.2M

$486 ¥3,265

41.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 COP 1.5M

$256 ¥1,716

89.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 COP 3.5M

$849 ¥5,700

29.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$964 COP 3.0M

$545 ¥3,660

76.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,887 COP 6.0M

$3,813 ¥25.6K

-50.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,648 COP 5.2M

$1,909 ¥12.8K

-13.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,284 ¥8,614

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

3.38

242.60%

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

Last update for Cucuta: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $687 in Cucuta versus $486 in Chengdu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Cucuta versus $20.00 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $196 – making Chengdu 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: $1,321 in Cucuta, $763 in Chengdu – roughly 73% apart. Cucuta costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,981 per month in Cucuta and $1,145 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 $41.00 in Cucuta and $20.00 in Chengdu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Cucuta, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chengdu, where all-in costs run around $763, than in Cucuta at $1,321. In Chengdu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cucuta it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.