Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Baotou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Baotou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,018 per month in Medellin vs $732 in Baotou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,609 per month in Medellin vs $1,162 in Baotou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,200 per month in Medellin vs $1,592 in Baotou, rent included.

Medellin costs about 39% more than Baotou, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Baotou are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Baotou 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.0K

$2.76 ¥18.69

114.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.0K

$25.56 ¥173

29.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.8K

$7.08 ¥47.93

0.56%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,458

$3.18 ¥21.55

-46.23%

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

$1.05 COP 3,356

$0.62 ¥4.18

69.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,311

$0.36 ¥2.43

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,502

$1.36 ¥9.18

26.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.14 ¥14.51

48.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,408

$1.84 ¥12.46

-42.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,192

$1.59 ¥10.78

-17.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,256

$0.62 ¥4.16

114.52%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,298

$2.29 ¥15.52

-0.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.1K

$12.82 ¥86.7

-65.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 18.9K

$3.20 ¥21.67

85.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.7K

$10.06 ¥68.1

-14.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,504

$1.74 ¥11.74

34.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,527

$1.20 ¥8.09

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,698

$1.43 ¥9.65

2.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,415

$1.09 ¥7.38

26.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,754

$0.67 ¥4.54

74.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,744

$0.96 ¥6.52

21.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,890

$0.56 ¥3.82

60.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,693

$0.55 ¥3.71

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,449

$3.20 ¥21.67

-27.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.1K

$13.04 ¥88.3

-8.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,673

$0.78 ¥5.31

47.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,749

$1.67 ¥11.27

44.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,687

$0.29 ¥1.99

189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

$16.91 ¥114

141.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,517

$1.01 ¥6.86

39.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,127

$0.33 ¥2.22

478.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.0K

$6.76 ¥45.73

15.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,020

$1.14 ¥7.70

-17.54%

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

$17.8K COP 57.0M

$19.3K ¥130.7K

-7.78%

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

$27.1K COP 86.7M

$16.7K ¥113.0K

62.19%

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

$83.3 COP 266.5K

$45.48 ¥308

83.07%

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

$9.66 COP 30.9K

$9.78 ¥66.2

-1.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.5K

$9.13 ¥61.8

165.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 80.7K

$41.09 ¥278

-38.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 61.9K

$13.96 ¥94.5

38.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$6.12 ¥41.41

-33.50%

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

$307 COP 981.2K

$334 ¥2,258

-8.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.1M

$16.7K ¥112.8K

-64.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.9K

$59.5 ¥403

0.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.5K

$32.63 ¥221

0.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 323.5K

$69.6 ¥471

45.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 345.7K

$82.7 ¥559

30.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$278 ¥1,878

71.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$190 ¥1,285

99.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$601 ¥4,067

35.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$362 ¥2,447

95.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

$3,483 ¥23.6K

-8.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

$2,178 ¥14.7K

-33.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

$654 ¥4,422

-4.86%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Baotou: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $278 in Baotou. 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 5% higher in Baotou, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $26.00 in Baotou. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Medellin vs $204 in Baotou – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Baotou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,018 in Medellin, $732 in Baotou – roughly 39% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,527 per month in Medellin and $1,097 in Baotou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Baotou, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $26.00 in Baotou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Baotou, where all-in costs run around $732, than in Medellin at $1,018. In Baotou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $732 in Baotou to $1,018 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Baotou. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.