Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medan and Nanchang

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $648 in Nanchang, rent and utilities included – about $420 less a year. The total is higher in Nanchang despite lower rent and utilities.

30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Nanchang
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Nanchang Living Index

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Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Nanchang

🇨🇳 China

$648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medan and in Nanchang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medan and in Nanchang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $613 in Medan versus $648 in Nanchang.

Medan $613
Nanchang $648

Estimated couple costs with rent: $940 in Medan versus $1,058 in Nanchang.

Medan $940
Nanchang $1,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,266 in Medan versus $1,467 in Nanchang.

Medan $1,266
Nanchang $1,467

Living in Medan costs roughly 5% less than in Nanchang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medan 55% lower, Nanchang 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

$2.35 ¥15.70

-27.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

$18.21 ¥122

-54.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

$4.81 ¥32.18

-38.67%

Cappuccino

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$2.59 ¥17.29

-40.93%

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

$0.35 Rp 6,215

$0.44 ¥2.92

-20.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,534

$0.27 ¥1.81

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

$1.31 ¥8.76

26.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$1.89 ¥12.66

89.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$2.05 ¥13.70

-45.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$2.40 ¥16.07

-50.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$0.84 ¥5.64

-3.57%

Eggs

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$1.67 ¥11.15

-20.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

$13.25 ¥88.6

-38.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$3.95 ¥26.44

-9.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

$11.77 ¥78.7

-45.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

$1.99 ¥13.29

20.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

$1.08 ¥7.22

-2.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

$1.91 ¥12.74

-25.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

$1.81 ¥12.12

-48.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$0.91 ¥6.11

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

$1.13 ¥7.54

59.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 Rp 6,905

$0.61 ¥4.10

-37.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,872

$0.43 ¥2.90

2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$3.07 ¥20.51

-6.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

$12.42 ¥83.0

26.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

$0.78 ¥5.20

134.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

$1.52 ¥10.19

98.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$0.26 ¥1.75

3.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

$14.93 ¥99.8

-60.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$1.24 ¥8.26

-58.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 Rp 3,465

$0.31 ¥2.08

-38.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 ¥48.75

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$1.25 ¥8.34

-36.00%

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

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

$19.1K ¥127.7K

29.16%

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

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

$17.9K ¥119.4K

80.46%

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

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

$34.93 ¥234

142.89%

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

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

$9.27 ¥62.0

-65.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

$13.34 ¥89.2

76.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

$42.85 ¥287

-60.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

$19.61 ¥131

-57.11%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

$6.42 ¥42.91

-48.75%

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

$112 Rp 2.0M

$326 ¥2,176

-65.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

$16.8K ¥112.2K

-89.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

$37.86 ¥253

43.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

$22.07 ¥148

74.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 Rp 1.9M

$87.6 ¥585

23.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Rp 2.0M

$60.7 ¥405

82.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 Rp 4.2M

$223 ¥1,493

4.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

$118 ¥791

-24.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 Rp 8.9M

$451 ¥3,014

9.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 Rp 3.8M

$257 ¥1,718

-17.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

$2,008 ¥13.4K

-42.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$560 Rp 10.1M

$1,624 ¥10.9K

-65.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

$745 ¥4,984

-71.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.25

3.46

167.34%

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

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nanchang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Medan

$181 29.5%

Nanchang

$227 35% 25.5% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Medan

$140 22.9%

Nanchang

$94 14.5% 33.2% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medan

$112 18.2%

Nanchang

$58 8.9% 48.4% $54

Accommodation & Living

Medan

$90 14.6%

Nanchang

$118 18.3% 31.8% $29

Eating Out

Medan

$59 9.6%

Nanchang

$77 11.9% 31.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Medan

$24 3.8%

Nanchang

$56 8.6% 137% $32

Getting Around

Medan

$8.5 1.4%

Nanchang

$19 2.9% 122% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $233 in Medan and $223 in Nanchang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nanchang pays 246% 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: $8.00 in Medan vs $18.00 in Nanchang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $227 per month, with Medan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Medan

🇨🇳 Nanchang

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

17:29 5:29 PM

1 h ahead of Medan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,097,610

5,042,566

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medan Nanchang 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medan
Nanchang

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

Medan vs Nanchang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 246% lower in Nanchang. 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: $233 in Medan versus $223 in Nanchang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medan runs roughly 152% less than in Nanchang. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $112 in Medan versus $326 in Nanchang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Medan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Nanchang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.