Cost of Living Comparison Between Dongguan and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Dongguan and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $805 in Dongguan versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,260 in Dongguan versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,716 in Dongguan versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Dongguan costs roughly 53% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dongguan is 41% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.17 ¥14.53

$8.03 COP 25.1K

-72.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥150

$48.26 COP 150.8K

-53.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥34.62

$9.77 COP 30.5K

-47.08%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ¥16.87

$2.91 COP 9,095

-13.40%

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

$0.51 ¥3.43

$1.94 COP 6,074

-73.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$1.52 COP 4,754

-80.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.89 ¥5.94

$3.09 COP 9,663

-71.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ¥14.70

$5.74 COP 17.9K

-61.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥10.36

$1.36 COP 4,262

13.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.28

$2.39 COP 7,460

-29.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.40

$1.70 COP 5,314

-44.12%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.18

$2.87 COP 8,967

-41.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.69 ¥139

$9.94 COP 31.1K

108.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 ¥24.04

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-66.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 ¥98.2

$14.73 COP 46.0K

-0.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 ¥14.78

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-45.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ¥10.68

$1.57 COP 4,911

1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.44

$2.13 COP 6,642

-12.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.53

$2.21 COP 6,917

-35.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ¥8.12

$2.05 COP 6,396

-40.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.84

$1.50 COP 4,700

-2.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ¥3.68

$1.19 COP 3,718

-53.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.59

$1.16 COP 3,619

-53.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ¥30.14

$3.90 COP 12.2K

15.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ¥82.3

$14.44 COP 45.1K

-14.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.07

$1.58 COP 4,948

-42.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.23

$2.83 COP 8,836

-35.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ¥2.57

$1.17 COP 3,650

-67.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.70 ¥152

$77.7 COP 242.9K

-70.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ¥8.10

$1.28 COP 4,014

-5.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ¥2.69

$2.09 COP 6,537

-80.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 ¥30.77

$8.62 COP 26.9K

-46.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.19

$1.30 COP 4,056

-6.15%

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

$19.5K ¥130.4K

$27.7K COP 86.4M

-29.63%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$35.5K COP 110.9M

-48.73%

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

$63.1 ¥423

$176 COP 550.1K

-64.14%

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

$9.28 ¥62.2

$13.37 COP 41.8K

-30.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.74 ¥85.4

$29.89 COP 93.4K

-57.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ¥347

$44.76 COP 139.8K

15.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.26 ¥109

$17.06 COP 53.3K

-4.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.59 ¥50.9

$6.20 COP 19.4K

22.42%

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

$529 ¥3,542

$793 COP 2.5M

-33.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K ¥157.9K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

161.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.53 ¥211

$85.6 COP 267.5K

-63.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 ¥265

$58.5 COP 182.7K

-32.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 ¥463

$136 COP 425.9K

-49.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.86 ¥274

$103 COP 322.2K

-60.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$374 ¥2,508

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-64.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$221 ¥1,479

$680 COP 2.1M

-67.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$656 ¥4,396

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-67.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 ¥2,809

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-64.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,558 ¥37.2K

$4,111 COP 12.8M

35.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,047 ¥20.4K

$1,701 COP 5.3M

79.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$844 ¥5,656

$665 COP 2.1M

26.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

10.94

-68.92%

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

Last update for Dongguan: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $374 in Dongguan and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dongguan pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Dongguan vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $303 per month, with Dongguan cheaper across the board.

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

Dongguan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dongguan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Dongguan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $374 in Dongguan versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dongguan runs roughly 242% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $529 in Dongguan versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $805 in Dongguan versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongguan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dongguan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dongguan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Dongguan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.