Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaifeng and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaifeng: $500 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kaifeng, China
Medellin, Colombia
Kaifeng
🇨🇳 China
$500
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $500 in Kaifeng versus $1,639 in Medellin.

  • Kaifeng $500
  • Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $792 in Kaifeng versus $2,413 in Medellin.

  • Kaifeng $792
  • Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,083 in Kaifeng versus $3,186 in Medellin.

  • Kaifeng $1,083
  • Medellin $3,186

Living in Kaifeng costs roughly 70% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaifeng is 63% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kaifeng
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.85 ¥12.30
$8.09 COP 26.1K
-77.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$13.44 ¥89.3
$47.05 COP 151.9K
-71.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.12 ¥27.40
$9.50 COP 30.7K
-56.63%
Cappuccino
$2.19 ¥14.54
$3.01 COP 9,735
-27.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 ¥2.56
$1.80 COP 5,809
-78.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.17 ¥1.14
$1.41 COP 4,561
-87.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.89 ¥5.91
$3.18 COP 10.3K
-72.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 ¥10.16
$5.75 COP 18.6K
-73.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kaifeng
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 ¥10.40
$1.51 COP 4,876
3.97%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 ¥10.21
$2.38 COP 7,678
-35.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.81 ¥5.39
$1.77 COP 5,720
-54.24%
Eggs
$0.96 ¥6.39
$2.89 COP 9,333
-66.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.67 ¥44.30
$10.19 COP 32.9K
-34.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.30 ¥15.25
$9.87 COP 31.9K
-76.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.21 ¥67.8
$13.99 COP 45.2K
-27.02%
Apples (1kg)
$0.87 ¥5.78
$3.97 COP 12.8K
-78.09%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ¥6.42
$1.55 COP 5,012
-37.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.59 ¥3.94
$2.18 COP 7,048
-72.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.64 ¥4.25
$2.18 COP 7,051
-70.64%
Potato (1kg)
$0.58 ¥3.84
$1.96 COP 6,337
-70.41%
Onion (1kg)
$0.67 ¥4.47
$1.59 COP 5,132
-57.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.21 ¥1.39
$1.15 COP 3,699
-81.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ¥3.67
$1.24 COP 4,014
-55.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.94 ¥19.56
$3.96 COP 12.8K
-25.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.88 ¥98.9
$13.68 COP 44.2K
8.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 ¥6.70
$1.66 COP 5,359
-39.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 ¥13.36
$2.26 COP 7,291
-11.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Kaifeng
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.13 ¥0.87
$1.17 COP 3,771
-88.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.17 ¥7.75
$1.27 COP 4,094
-7.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.15 ¥0.99
$2.05 COP 6,612
-92.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ¥24.50
$8.55 COP 27.6K
-56.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 ¥8.44
$1.35 COP 4,349
-5.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.2K ¥127.3K
$34.1K COP 110.0M
-43.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$14.9K ¥99.0K
$34.7K COP 111.9M
-57.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kaifeng
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$45.22 ¥300
$170 COP 547.8K
-73.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.76 ¥31.62
$13.55 COP 43.8K
-64.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$5.28 ¥35.07
$28.07 COP 90.6K
-81.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kaifeng
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.67 ¥197
$43.70 COP 141.1K
-32.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.55 ¥70.1
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-38.63%
Cinema Ticket
$3.82 ¥25.36
$6.91 COP 22.3K
-44.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kaifeng
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$388 ¥2,581
$797 COP 2.6M
-51.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.2K ¥207.3K
$9,112 COP 29.4M
242.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kaifeng
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.81 ¥291
$84.7 COP 273.5K
-48.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.96 ¥226
$58.0 COP 187.2K
-41.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.9 ¥478
$135 COP 435.8K
-46.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$45.32 ¥301
$97.9 COP 316.0K
-53.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kaifeng
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$121 ¥801
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-90.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$88.7 ¥589
$642 COP 2.1M
-86.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$225 ¥1,494
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-88.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$180 ¥1,197
$1,012 COP 3.3M
-82.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,170 COP 13.5M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,910 COP 6.2M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kaifeng
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$580 ¥3,852
$657 COP 2.1M
-11.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.1
10.94
-71.66%

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

Last update for Kaifeng: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kaifeng
$165
Medellin
$297 79.7% $132
Accommodation & Living
Kaifeng
$89
Medellin
$642 623% $553
Clothing & Footwear
Kaifeng
$88
Medellin
$169 92.6% $81
Eating Out
Kaifeng
$63
Medellin
$170 169% $106
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kaifeng
$55
Medellin
$211 282% $156
Sport & Entertainment
Kaifeng
$37
Medellin
$58 54.2% $20
Getting Around
Kaifeng
$2.4 *
Medellin
$94 3734% $91

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $121 in Kaifeng and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 13% 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: $13 in Kaifeng vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $297 per month, with Kaifeng cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Kaifeng
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
17:20 5:20 PM
04:20 4:20 AM
13 h behind Kaifeng
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,676,159
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kaifeng Medellin 15,330 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kaifeng
  • 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
Kaifeng vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kaifeng or Medellin?
Kaifeng wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kaifeng the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Kaifeng or in Medellin?
On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Kaifeng. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Kaifeng compared to Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $121 in Kaifeng versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Kaifeng or in Medellin?
Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Kaifeng compared to Medellin?
All in, you’ll spend $500 per month in Kaifeng versus $1,639 in Medellin – Kaifeng is about 70% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in Kaifeng or in Medellin?
At $500 in Kaifeng versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $800 budget is realistic in Kaifeng but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kaifeng the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Kaifeng or Medellin?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Should I move to Kaifeng or to Medellin?
It comes down to priorities – Kaifeng wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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