Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jilin and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Jilin: $722 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Jilin
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Jilin Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Jilin

🇨🇳 China

$722

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $722 per month in Jilin vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Jilin $722
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,195 per month in Jilin vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Jilin $1,195
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,669 per month in Jilin vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Jilin $1,669
Medellin $3,186

Jilin is about 56% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Jilin sits 47% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ¥20.31

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-62.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.62 ¥151

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-51.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥34.37

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-45.58%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.83

$3.01 COP 9,485

13.95%

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

$0.44 ¥2.96

$1.80 COP 5,660

-75.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$1.41 COP 4,443

-80.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ¥7.24

$3.18 COP 9,990

-65.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.39

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-59.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.64

$1.51 COP 4,751

15.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.70

$2.38 COP 7,480

-32.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.59

$1.77 COP 5,573

-44.07%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.46

$2.89 COP 9,093

-45.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.29 ¥102

$10.19 COP 32.1K

50.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ¥20.73

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-68.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 ¥73.7

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-20.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 ¥12.51

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-52.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.44

$1.55 COP 4,883

-18.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.79

$2.18 COP 6,867

-32.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$2.18 COP 6,870

-40.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ¥4.38

$1.96 COP 6,174

-66.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.79

$1.59 COP 5,000

-35.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.96

$1.15 COP 3,604

-48.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.91

$1.24 COP 3,911

-52.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.12

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-4.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 ¥68.0

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-25.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.07

$1.66 COP 5,221

-54.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.65

$2.26 COP 7,103

-29.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ¥2.28

$1.17 COP 3,674

-70.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.48 ¥116

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-77.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ¥7.17

$1.27 COP 3,989

-14.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$2.05 COP 6,442

-87.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.13 ¥47.44

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-16.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.43

$1.35 COP 4,237

-5.93%

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

$19.8K ¥132.1K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-41.75%

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

$17.6K ¥116.9K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-49.35%

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

$61.3 ¥408

$170 COP 533.7K

-63.88%

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

$8.26 ¥55.0

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-39.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.67 ¥71.0

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-61.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.37 ¥262

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-9.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.99 ¥113

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-1.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 ¥42.67

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-7.24%

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

$440 ¥2,930

$797 COP 2.5M

-44.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥117.5K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

93.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.55 ¥283

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-49.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.53 ¥217

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-43.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ¥508

$135 COP 424.6K

-43.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.0 ¥506

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-22.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 ¥1,623

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-79.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ¥1,085

$642 COP 2.0M

-74.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 ¥3,884

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-71.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 ¥2,704

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-59.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,551 ¥23.6K

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-14.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,139 ¥14.2K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

11.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$441 ¥2,935

$657 COP 2.1M

-32.88%

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 Jilin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jilin

$209 28.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 42.3% $88

Accommodation & Living

Jilin

$163 22.6%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 294% $479

Clothing & Footwear

Jilin

$102 14.2%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 65.1% $67

Eating Out

Jilin

$94 13%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 80.4% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jilin

$80 11.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 163% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Jilin

$52 7.2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 10.2% $5.3

Getting Around

Jilin

$21 2.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 341% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $244 in Jilin versus $1,208 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 49% 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 in Jilin versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $297 – making Jilin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Jilin

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:35 4:35 AM

15:35 3:35 PM

13 h behind Jilin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,623,713

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Jilin Medellin 14,010 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Jilin
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

Jilin vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 127% more than Jilin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,083 per month in Jilin and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jilin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $244 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $440 per month in Jilin and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Jilin, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Jilin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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