Cost of Living Comparison Between Jiaozuo and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Jiaozuo and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $680 in Jiaozuo versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,085 in Jiaozuo versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,490 in Jiaozuo versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Jiaozuo costs roughly 33% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jiaozuo 49% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.71 ¥11.59

$5.99 COP 21.5K

-71.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.95 ¥142

$32.86 COP 118.1K

-36.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 ¥38.43

$7.09 COP 25.5K

-19.89%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ¥18.40

$1.71 COP 6,155

59.06%

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

$0.39 ¥2.62

$1.10 COP 3,950

-64.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$0.78 COP 2,799

-53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.79 ¥5.37

$1.68 COP 6,037

-52.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ¥14.34

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-30.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥10.22

$1.09 COP 3,931

38.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ¥10.07

$1.26 COP 4,537

18.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.65 ¥4.39

$1.38 COP 4,955

-52.90%

Eggs

$1.02 ¥6.91

$2.19 COP 7,878

-53.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 ¥87.7

$4.40 COP 15.8K

194.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.26 ¥15.26

$5.63 COP 20.2K

-59.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.55 ¥51.1

$8.89 COP 32.0K

-15.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.71

$2.34 COP 8,403

-26.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.50

$1.06 COP 3,802

18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.91

$1.50 COP 5,409

-61.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ¥3.61

$1.38 COP 4,956

-61.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.52

$1.15 COP 4,138

-41.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ¥2.72

$1.16 COP 4,183

-65.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.89 COP 3,203

-60.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.85

$0.84 COP 3,016

20.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 ¥16.31

$2.28 COP 8,198

5.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.55 ¥64.6

$10.64 COP 38.3K

-10.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ¥4.46

$1.20 COP 4,312

-45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ¥19.63

$2.47 COP 8,882

17.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.86 COP 3,076

-68.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.02 ¥115

$41.40 COP 148.8K

-58.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 ¥12.12

$1.47 COP 5,298

21.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.23

$1.96 COP 7,055

-83.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 ¥44.22

$7.74 COP 27.8K

-15.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 ¥5.79

$0.95 COP 3,431

-9.47%

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

$19.6K ¥132.5K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

8.02%

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

$17.0K ¥115.2K

$26.5K COP 95.2M

-35.69%

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

$46.09 ¥312

$82.3 COP 295.7K

-43.96%

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

$11.68 ¥79.0

$9.50 COP 34.2K

22.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.61 ¥78.5

$24.23 COP 87.1K

-52.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ¥362

$25.89 COP 93.0K

106.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.67 ¥92.5

$19.00 COP 68.3K

-28.05%

Cinema Ticket

$3.62 ¥24.48

$3.93 COP 14.1K

-7.89%

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

$168 ¥1,139

$309 COP 1.1M

-45.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ¥115.7K

$5,965 COP 21.4M

186.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.08 ¥298

$58.7 COP 210.8K

-24.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.48 ¥206

$32.35 COP 116.3K

-5.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 ¥482

$103 COP 368.8K

-30.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.9 ¥500

$108 COP 389.7K

-31.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 ¥1,851

$476 COP 1.7M

-42.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 ¥1,279

$379 COP 1.4M

-50.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 ¥4,082

$838 COP 3.0M

-28.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 ¥2,408

$724 COP 2.6M

-50.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,544 ¥17.2K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-8.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,967 ¥13.3K

$1,211 COP 4.4M

62.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$573 ¥3,874

$512 COP 1.8M

11.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

13.43

-62.70%

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

Last update for Jiaozuo: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $274 in Jiaozuo and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jiaozuo pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in Jiaozuo vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $188 per month, with Jiaozuo 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

Jiaozuo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiaozuo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Jiaozuo pays 12% more on average, 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: $274 in Jiaozuo versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $168 in Jiaozuo versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $680 in Jiaozuo versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jiaozuo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jiaozuo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jiaozuo 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 Jiaozuo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.