Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Baiquan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Baiquan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $698 in Baiquan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,127 in Baiquan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,556 in Baiquan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 48% more expensive than in Baiquan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Baiquan 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$2.84 ¥19.19

116.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$21.09 ¥143

54.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$4.92 ¥33.23

49.19%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.92 ¥19.76

-41.10%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.46 ¥3.11

128.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.27 ¥1.80

185.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$0.88 ¥5.96

92.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.13 ¥14.36

48.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.77 ¥11.97

-40.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.56 ¥10.53

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.96 ¥6.46

45.83%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.64 ¥11.11

31.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$12.80 ¥86.5

-65.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.24 ¥21.90

81.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.02 ¥67.7

-13.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.71 ¥11.54

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.25 ¥8.42

-11.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.42 ¥9.56

7.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.14 ¥7.69

18.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.69 ¥4.66

63.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.97 ¥6.56

16.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.59 ¥4.00

44.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.52 ¥3.51

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$3.06 ¥20.66

-23.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$10.48 ¥70.8

18.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.75 ¥5.08

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.60 ¥10.82

55.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.29 ¥1.97

189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$16.77 ¥113

141.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.35 ¥9.12

5.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.35 ¥2.37

448.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$6.74 ¥45.55

13.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.12 ¥7.59

-11.61%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$19.7K ¥133.0K

-8.41%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$16.7K ¥112.7K

59.72%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$46.53 ¥314

73.67%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$10.03 ¥67.7

-0.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$11.60 ¥78.4

108.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$41.58 ¥281

-39.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$14.11 ¥95.4

35.72%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$6.42 ¥43.35

-38.01%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$342 ¥2,310

-10.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$16.6K ¥112.2K

-63.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$44.14 ¥298

31.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$30.58 ¥207

5.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$71.5 ¥483

40.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$75.2 ¥508

43.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$273 ¥1,846

74.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$186 ¥1,254

102.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$591 ¥3,991

43.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$353 ¥2,389

106.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,714 ¥18.3K

18.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$2,029 ¥13.7K

-32.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.87

247.03%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Baiquan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $273 in Baiquan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $21.00 in Baiquan. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $196, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Medellin vs Baiquan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baiquan is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $1,047 in Baiquan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $273 in Baiquan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $342 in Baiquan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $698 in Baiquan versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baiquan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Baiquan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Baiquan 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Baiquan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baiquan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.