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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,003 per month in Medellin vs $727 in Beihai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,573 per month in Medellin vs $1,145 in Beihai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,143 per month in Medellin vs $1,564 in Beihai, rent included.

Medellin costs about 38% more than Beihai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Beihai are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 25% lower, Beihai 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$2.86 ¥19.29

106.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$20.76 ¥140

58.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$4.92 ¥33.20

51.02%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$2.94 ¥19.85

-43.88%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.44 ¥2.94

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.29 ¥1.97

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$0.88 ¥5.91

95.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.13 ¥14.41

49.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.84 ¥12.43

-40.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.61 ¥10.85

-21.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$0.89 ¥6.01

55.06%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.58 ¥10.65

37.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$12.99 ¥87.7

-65.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$3.12 ¥21.08

85.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$10.04 ¥67.7

-10.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$1.74 ¥11.76

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.26 ¥8.51

-15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.36 ¥9.16

11.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.09 ¥7.39

24.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$0.68 ¥4.57

66.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$0.97 ¥6.57

20.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.57 ¥3.83

57.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.52 ¥3.49

73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$3.07 ¥20.72

-27.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$13.39 ¥90.4

-9.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$0.78 ¥5.27

52.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$1.65 ¥11.12

50.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.27 ¥1.82

214.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$16.73 ¥113

148.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$1.36 ¥9.16

4.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.33 ¥2.22

490.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$6.59 ¥44.48

19.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.13 ¥7.63

-12.39%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$19.2K ¥129.8K

-8.43%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$17.0K ¥115.0K

57.31%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$46.66 ¥315

77.90%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$10.09 ¥68.1

-3.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$11.61 ¥78.4

102.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$41.29 ¥279

-38.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$13.81 ¥93.2

38.31%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$6.32 ¥42.65

-37.50%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$336 ¥2,268

-6.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$17.3K ¥116.6K

-65.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$44.07 ¥298

36.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$29.97 ¥202

6.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$72.5 ¥490

40.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$75.4 ¥509

42.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$273 ¥1,844

73.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$191 ¥1,286

96.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$593 ¥4,006

43.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$356 ¥2,404

101.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$2,856 ¥19.3K

14.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,876 ¥12.7K

-23.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 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 27, 2026

Last update for Beihai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $475 in Medellin versus $273 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 – $193 in Medellin vs $203 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 38% more than Beihai, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,504 per month in Medellin and $1,090 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 5% 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 $727, than in Medellin at $1,003. 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 $727 versus $1,003 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.