Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Beihai Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Beihai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $716 in Beihai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,126 in Beihai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $1,536 in Beihai, rent included.

Medellin costs about 42% more than Beihai, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Beihai are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Beihai 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$2.71 ¥18.35

119.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$20.54 ¥139

62.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.89 ¥33.07

47.85%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.94 ¥19.86

-44.56%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.46 ¥3.14

136.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.29 ¥1.97

151.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$0.94 ¥6.34

85.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.15 ¥14.55

50.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.77 ¥12.00

-40.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.59 ¥10.77

-18.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.96 ¥6.51

37.50%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.59 ¥10.74

42.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$12.62 ¥85.3

-65.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.12 ¥21.07

88.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$10.09 ¥68.2

-14.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.71 ¥11.55

31.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.22 ¥8.24

-12.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.42 ¥9.58

7.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.12 ¥7.60

26.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.68 ¥4.60

72.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.92 ¥6.23

27.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.60 ¥4.07

48.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.51 ¥3.46

76.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$3.07 ¥20.74

-26.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$10.58 ¥71.6

4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$0.79 ¥5.37

44.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.58 ¥10.69

50.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.29 ¥1.97

189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$16.56 ¥112

153.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.36 ¥9.19

3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.36 ¥2.41

427.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$6.88 ¥46.50

12.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.18 ¥7.98

-14.41%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$19.0K ¥128.3K

-7.37%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$16.7K ¥113.2K

58.25%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$45.40 ¥307

84.32%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$9.53 ¥64.5

-0.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$11.33 ¥76.6

112.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$41.83 ¥283

-39.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$13.71 ¥92.7

39.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.31 ¥42.66

-35.02%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$335 ¥2,262

-6.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$17.2K ¥116.2K

-65.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$43.73 ¥296

32.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$30.18 ¥204

7.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$72.2 ¥488

38.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$74.7 ¥505

45.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$279 ¥1,884

73.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$186 ¥1,258

103.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$593 ¥4,012

41.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$358 ¥2,421

101.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$2,857 ¥19.3K

-0.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,896 ¥12.8K

-35.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Beihai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $279 in Beihai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $21.00 in Beihai. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $195 in Beihai – 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 Beihai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 42% more than Beihai, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,525 per month in Medellin and $1,074 in Beihai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% 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 $21.00 in Beihai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Beihai, where all-in costs run around $716, than in Medellin at $1,017. In Beihai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Beihai costs $716 versus $1,017 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Beihai. 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.