Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Harbin and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Harbin: $1,166 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Harbin
Learn more

Harbin Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Harbin

🇨🇳 China

$1,166

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Harbin 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 Harbin and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,166 per month in Harbin vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Harbin $1,166
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,617 per month in Harbin vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Harbin $1,617
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $2,069 per month in Harbin vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Harbin $2,069
Medellin $3,199

Harbin is about 28% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Harbin sits 14% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 ¥15.36

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-72.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.57 ¥151

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-51.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 ¥36.87

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-40.37%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.69

$3.05 COP 9,676

-3.61%

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

$0.47 ¥3.14

$1.80 COP 5,707

-73.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$1.38 COP 4,382

-79.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-73.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.18

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-69.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ¥13.32

$1.50 COP 4,760

32.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.41

$2.37 COP 7,508

-15.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.49

$1.70 COP 5,377

-42.94%

Eggs

$1.38 ¥9.26

$2.96 COP 9,379

-53.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 ¥61.8

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-9.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.56 ¥17.13

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-73.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.84 ¥79.2

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-14.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.85

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-60.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 ¥8.90

$1.53 COP 4,839

-13.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.18

$2.22 COP 7,052

-45.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.37

$2.27 COP 7,194

-58.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 ¥3.62

$1.99 COP 6,311

-72.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.18

$1.67 COP 5,285

-8.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ¥3.15

$1.18 COP 3,742

-60.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.28

$1.24 COP 3,919

-36.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.56 ¥17.14

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-33.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.89 ¥120

$13.78 COP 43.7K

29.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.91

$1.66 COP 5,256

-65.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$2.40 COP 7,615

-35.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.24 COP 3,944

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.14 ¥74.5

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-85.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.28 COP 4,044

3.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$2.15 COP 6,803

-86.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 ¥24.43

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-56.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥8.65

$1.35 COP 4,288

-4.44%

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

$19.4K ¥129.6K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-44.22%

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

$15.6K ¥104.2K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-55.06%

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

$75.3 ¥503

$167 COP 528.4K

-54.83%

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

$14.46 ¥96.7

$13.62 COP 43.2K

6.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.39 ¥82.9

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-57.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.0 ¥562

$45.09 COP 143.0K

86.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.73 ¥199

$17.18 COP 54.5K

73.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.97 ¥39.90

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-14.35%

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

$300 ¥2,004

$790 COP 2.5M

-62.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K ¥69.3K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

14.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.31 ¥203

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-65.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.23 ¥202

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-48.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ¥483

$139 COP 440.7K

-48.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$302 ¥2,020

$98.9 COP 313.5K

205.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 ¥2,186

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-68.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 ¥3,121

$620 COP 2.0M

-24.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 ¥8,941

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-28.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 ¥3,492

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-48.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,220 ¥21.5K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-19.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 ¥9,074

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-20.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ¥3,949

$663 COP 2.1M

-10.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.92

10.94

-64.17%

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

Last update for Harbin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Harbin

$467 40.1%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 32.7% $153

Groceries & Markets

Harbin

$209 17.9%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 42.5% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Harbin

$196 16.8%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 11.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Harbin

$102 8.8%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 105% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Harbin

$96 8.2%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 38.5% $37

Eating Out

Harbin

$81 6.9%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 111% $90

Getting Around

Harbin

$15 1.3%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 528% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $327 in Harbin versus $1,028 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 12% 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 $23.00 in Harbin versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $298 – making Harbin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Harbin

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

19:37 7:37 PM

06:37 6:37 AM

13 h behind Harbin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,009,854

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Harbin Medellin 13,820 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Harbin
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

Harbin vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 39% more than Harbin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,748 per month in Harbin and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Harbin, 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 $23.00 in Harbin and $47.00 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 $1,166 in Harbin and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 39%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Harbin, where all-in costs run around $1,166, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Harbin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Harbin costs $1,166 versus $1,625 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Harbin. 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.