Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jiaozuo and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Jiaozuo: $674 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Jiaozuo
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Jiaozuo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Jiaozuo

🇨🇳 China

$674

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $674 in Jiaozuo versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Jiaozuo $674
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,059 in Jiaozuo versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Jiaozuo $1,059
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,445 in Jiaozuo versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Jiaozuo $1,445
Medellin $3,199

Living in Jiaozuo costs roughly 59% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jiaozuo is 50% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.82 ¥12.16

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-78.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.41 ¥110

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-65.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 ¥30.70

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-50.32%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ¥16.57

$3.05 COP 9,676

-18.69%

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

$0.42 ¥2.78

$1.80 COP 5,707

-76.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.72

$1.38 COP 4,382

-81.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.85 ¥5.71

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-73.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-69.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ¥11.26

$1.50 COP 4,760

12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ¥10.60

$2.37 COP 7,508

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$1.70 COP 5,377

-59.41%

Eggs

$0.96 ¥6.40

$2.96 COP 9,379

-67.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 ¥56.4

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-17.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.41 ¥16.11

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-75.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.26 ¥55.2

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-40.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.87

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-71.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.59

$1.53 COP 4,839

-35.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$2.22 COP 7,052

-71.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 ¥3.83

$2.27 COP 7,194

-74.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 ¥3.55

$1.99 COP 6,311

-73.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ¥3.14

$1.67 COP 5,285

-71.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 ¥2.66

$1.18 COP 3,742

-66.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥4.86

$1.24 COP 3,919

-41.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ¥17.00

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-34.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.79 ¥65.5

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-28.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ¥4.58

$1.66 COP 5,256

-59.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ¥13.50

$2.40 COP 7,615

-15.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.24 COP 3,944

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.86 ¥119

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-77.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.25

$1.28 COP 4,044

19.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$2.15 COP 6,803

-85.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 ¥24.48

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-56.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 ¥6.53

$1.35 COP 4,288

-27.41%

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

$19.2K ¥128.3K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-44.79%

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

$17.6K ¥117.4K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-49.39%

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

$60.1 ¥402

$167 COP 528.4K

-63.95%

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

$7.17 ¥47.97

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-47.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.16 ¥61.3

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-68.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ¥386

$45.09 COP 143.0K

27.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.04 ¥101

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-12.46%

Cinema Ticket

$3.94 ¥26.37

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-43.47%

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

$177 ¥1,182

$790 COP 2.5M

-77.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K ¥144.2K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

138.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.93 ¥294

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-49.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.16 ¥228

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-41.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.3 ¥490

$139 COP 440.7K

-47.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.3 ¥437

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-33.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$296 ¥1,982

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-71.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 ¥1,238

$620 COP 2.0M

-70.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 ¥4,158

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-66.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 ¥2,541

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-62.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,585 ¥17.3K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-35.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,965 ¥13.1K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

15.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$566 ¥3,786

$663 COP 2.1M

-14.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.29

10.94

-69.93%

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

Last update for Jiaozuo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jiaozuo

$185 27.5%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 235% $434

Groceries & Markets

Jiaozuo

$158 23.5%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 88% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Jiaozuo

$97 14.5%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 77.2% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jiaozuo

$76 11.3%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 174% $133

Eating Out

Jiaozuo

$68 10.2%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 150% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Jiaozuo

$66 9.7%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 10% $6.6

Getting Around

Jiaozuo

$22 3.3%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 329% $73

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $296 in Jiaozuo and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 17% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $16.00 in Jiaozuo vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $158 vs $298 per month, with Jiaozuo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Jiaozuo

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

16:59 4:59 PM

13 h behind Jiaozuo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,539,860

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 →

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Between locations

Jiaozuo Medellin 15,310 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Jiaozuo
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

Jiaozuo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiaozuo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $296 in Jiaozuo versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $177 in Jiaozuo versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $674 in Jiaozuo versus $1,625 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 141% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.