Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guilin and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Guilin: $659 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Guilin
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Guilin Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Guilin

🇨🇳 China

$659

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guilin and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Guilin and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $659 per month in Guilin vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Guilin $659
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,058 per month in Guilin vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Guilin $1,058
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,457 per month in Guilin vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Guilin $1,457
Medellin $3,190

Guilin is about 59% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Guilin sits 51% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.22 ¥14.85

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-72.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.16 ¥101

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-67.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.05 ¥20.39

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-67.89%

Cappuccino

$2.14 ¥14.32

$3.11 COP 9,866

-31.19%

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

$0.42 ¥2.81

$1.83 COP 5,800

-77.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.38 COP 4,360

-77.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.81 ¥5.40

$3.05 COP 9,672

-73.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.33

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-61.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥9.77

$1.45 COP 4,600

0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$2.36 COP 7,496

-47.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$1.68 COP 5,328

-63.10%

Eggs

$1.83 ¥12.26

$2.86 COP 9,077

-36.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$10.19 COP 32.3K

30.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ¥22.86

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-64.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ¥74.8

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-20.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.74

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-64.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.90

$1.50 COP 4,742

-21.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.92

$2.17 COP 6,891

-52.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.28

$2.31 COP 7,310

-59.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.90

$1.93 COP 6,113

-62.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.89

$1.64 COP 5,196

-46.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$1.13 COP 3,571

-38.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.91

$1.25 COP 3,954

-65.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 ¥25.10

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-6.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 ¥88.0

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-1.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.63

$1.70 COP 5,384

-50.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥9.67

$2.37 COP 7,525

-38.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$1.21 COP 3,827

-76.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.97 ¥120

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-76.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 ¥8.73

$1.32 COP 4,179

-0.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$2.14 COP 6,774

-86.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 ¥52.1

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-8.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥8.10

$1.30 COP 4,114

-6.92%

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

$19.2K ¥128.5K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-31.32%

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

$17.4K ¥116.4K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-50.82%

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

$24.59 ¥164

$172 COP 545.6K

-85.71%

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

$4.89 ¥32.69

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-63.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.49 ¥76.8

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-60.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.59 ¥278

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-8.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-14.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.33 ¥35.63

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-15.13%

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

$407 ¥2,719

$770 COP 2.4M

-47.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ¥105.5K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

75.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.52 ¥291

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-49.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.64 ¥212

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-44.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.2 ¥503

$137 COP 432.9K

-44.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.2 ¥496

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-24.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 ¥1,967

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-72.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 ¥1,226

$616 COP 2.0M

-70.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ¥4,173

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-67.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ¥2,486

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-63.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,334 ¥8,916

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-67.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,980 ¥13.2K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

17.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$497 ¥3,322

$652 COP 2.1M

-23.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

10.94

-69.29%

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

Last update for Guilin: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Guilin

$196 29.7%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 50.4% $99

Accommodation & Living

Guilin

$183 27.8%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 236% $432

Clothing & Footwear

Guilin

$101 15.3%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 68.4% $69

Eating Out

Guilin

$64 9.7%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 164% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Guilin

$52 7.9%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 10.6% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guilin

$41 6.2%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 423% $173

Getting Around

Guilin

$22 3.3%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 327% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $294 in Guilin versus $1,055 in Medellin. 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 31% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Guilin versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $295 – making Guilin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Guilin

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

16:42 4:42 PM

03:42 3:42 AM

13 h behind Guilin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,931,137

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Guilin Medellin 16,450 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Guilin
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Guilin vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 145%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $989 per month in Guilin and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guilin, 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 $15.00 in Guilin and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $659 in Guilin and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 145%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guilin, where all-in costs run around $659, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Guilin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guilin – 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 Guilin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.