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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $721 in Baiquan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,160 in Baiquan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,599 in Baiquan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 133% more expensive than in Baiquan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Baiquan is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$3.12 ¥20.87

157.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$20.65 ¥138

131.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$5.81 ¥38.91

70.22%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$3.12 ¥20.91

0.32%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.46 ¥3.06

315.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.32 ¥2.16

371.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.12 ¥7.49

178.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$2.09 ¥13.96

175.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.67 ¥11.15

-13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.86 ¥12.48

33.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$0.91 ¥6.07

94.51%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$1.53 ¥10.26

93.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$12.74 ¥85.3

-20.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$3.37 ¥22.59

200.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$11.08 ¥74.2

29.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$1.75 ¥11.74

136.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.25 ¥8.38

28.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.58 ¥10.55

42.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.30 ¥8.69

73.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$0.72 ¥4.84

183.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$0.82 ¥5.52

87.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$0.59 ¥3.95

98.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.60 ¥4.05

118.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$4.00 ¥26.77

-2.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$10.77 ¥72.1

30.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$0.90 ¥6.06

93.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$1.72 ¥11.49

66.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.26 ¥1.71

369.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$17.62 ¥118

356.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$1.47 ¥9.87

-10.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.37 ¥2.49

491.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$7.96 ¥53.3

9.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.25 ¥8.39

9.60%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$19.5K ¥130.3K

43.04%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$19.7K ¥132.1K

81.36%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$57.0 ¥382

211.16%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$9.33 ¥62.5

48.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$11.40 ¥76.4

160.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$35.35 ¥237

26.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$14.17 ¥94.9

20.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$6.33 ¥42.41

5.06%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$382 ¥2,561

112.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$15.4K ¥102.8K

-40.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$37.09 ¥248

141.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$36.37 ¥244

62.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$83.2 ¥557

66.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$64.3 ¥431

58.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$313 ¥2,094

239.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$170 ¥1,139

289.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$531 ¥3,559

255.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$371 ¥2,484

176.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$3,342 ¥22.4K

25.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$2,200 ¥14.7K

-23.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.38

223.67%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Baiquan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $313 in Baiquan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $21.00 in Baiquan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $205 per month, with Baiquan cheaper across the board.

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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 133% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,082 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $313 in Baiquan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $382 in Baiquan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $721 in Baiquan versus $1,681 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 133% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.