Cost of Living Comparison Between Datong and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Datong and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $718 in Datong versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,141 in Datong versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,564 in Datong versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Datong costs roughly 29% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Datong 46% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ¥19.25

$5.99 COP 21.5K

-52.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.18 ¥144

$32.86 COP 117.9K

-35.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥32.08

$7.09 COP 25.5K

-33.29%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥20.13

$1.71 COP 6,146

73.68%

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

$0.46 ¥3.13

$1.10 COP 3,944

-58.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.98

$0.78 COP 2,795

-62.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.96

$1.68 COP 6,028

-47.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ¥14.01

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-32.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.60

$1.09 COP 3,925

70.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥10.44

$1.26 COP 4,530

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥6.02

$1.38 COP 4,947

-35.51%

Eggs

$1.53 ¥10.39

$2.19 COP 7,867

-30.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.70 ¥86.1

$4.40 COP 15.8K

188.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ¥21.03

$5.63 COP 20.2K

-44.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ¥70.2

$8.89 COP 31.9K

16.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.59

$2.34 COP 8,391

-20.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.56

$1.06 COP 3,796

18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥10.06

$1.50 COP 5,401

-1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.45

$1.38 COP 4,949

-20.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.75

$1.15 COP 4,132

-39.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.42

$1.16 COP 4,176

-18.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.12

$0.89 COP 3,198

-31.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.45

$0.84 COP 3,012

-39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ¥20.94

$2.28 COP 8,186

35.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.74 ¥72.9

$10.64 COP 38.2K

0.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.14

$1.20 COP 4,305

-36.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.90

$2.47 COP 8,869

-34.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.86 COP 3,072

-66.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.99 ¥115

$41.40 COP 148.6K

-58.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.18

$1.47 COP 5,290

-8.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.38

$1.96 COP 7,045

-82.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 ¥44.39

$7.74 COP 27.8K

-15.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥8.00

$0.95 COP 3,426

24.21%

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

$19.4K ¥131.4K

$18.1K COP 65.1M

6.88%

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

$16.9K ¥114.8K

$26.5K COP 95.1M

-36.12%

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

$45.90 ¥311

$82.3 COP 295.2K

-44.19%

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

$9.91 ¥67.2

$9.50 COP 34.1K

4.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.87 ¥80.5

$24.23 COP 87.0K

-51.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.85 ¥284

$25.89 COP 92.9K

61.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.71 ¥93.0

$19.00 COP 68.2K

-27.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 ¥41.27

$3.93 COP 14.1K

54.96%

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

$328 ¥2,223

$309 COP 1.1M

5.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ¥114.4K

$5,965 COP 21.4M

182.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.31 ¥301

$58.7 COP 210.5K

-24.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.17 ¥205

$32.35 COP 116.1K

-6.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ¥490

$103 COP 368.2K

-29.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 ¥483

$108 COP 389.2K

-34.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 ¥1,907

$476 COP 1.7M

-40.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ¥1,332

$379 COP 1.4M

-48.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 ¥4,025

$838 COP 3.0M

-29.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ¥2,437

$724 COP 2.6M

-50.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,073 ¥20.8K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

10.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,047 ¥13.9K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

68.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

13.43

-71.03%

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

Last update for Datong: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Datong and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Datong vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $188, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Datong vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Datong wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Datong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,077 in Datong and $1,519 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $281 in Datong versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $328 in Datong versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $718 in Datong versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Datong but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Datong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Datong delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $718 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Datong hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Datong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.