Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bengbu Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bengbu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $649 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,061 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,473 in Bengbu.

Living in Medellin is roughly 56% more expensive than Bengbu, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Bengbu 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$2.84 ¥19.23

110.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$22.21 ¥150

47.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$4.98 ¥33.71

42.37%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$3.18 ¥21.53

-46.23%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.45 ¥3.03

144.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.26 ¥1.77

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$0.81 ¥5.49

107.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.03 ¥13.75

51.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$2.04 ¥13.80

-46.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$1.02 ¥6.88

23.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$0.72 ¥4.88

91.67%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$1.47 ¥9.94

48.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$9.30 ¥63.0

-52.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$2.85 ¥19.27

97.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$8.76 ¥59.3

1.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$1.35 ¥9.16

73.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$0.95 ¥6.41

11.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.37 ¥9.30

9.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$0.71 ¥4.81

94.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$0.57 ¥3.88

101.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$0.55 ¥3.70

110.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.71 ¥4.84

25.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.43 ¥2.95

95.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$2.85 ¥19.32

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$6.04 ¥40.90

76.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$0.67 ¥4.51

79.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$1.35 ¥9.17

82.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.27 ¥1.82

218.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$16.96 ¥115

144.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$1.52 ¥10.29

-3.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.36 ¥2.41

444.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$8.57 ¥58.1

-9.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.12 ¥7.59

-15.18%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$17.3K ¥117.2K

4.79%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$14.3K ¥97.1K

84.82%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$34.21 ¥232

140.43%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$4.93 ¥33.36

92.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$8.15 ¥55.2

197.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$41.98 ¥284

-38.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$13.95 ¥94.5

36.20%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.47 ¥37.04

-28.15%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$410 ¥2,777

-24.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$18.4K ¥124.3K

-67.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$43.07 ¥292

36.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$33.20 ¥225

-2.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$67.7 ¥458

51.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$82.8 ¥561

30.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$278 ¥1,882

71.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$185 ¥1,253

104.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$587 ¥3,977

42.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$367 ¥2,485

97.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$3,084 ¥20.9K

-9.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,783 ¥12.1K

-32.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$652 ¥4,417

-21.52%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $278 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bengbu pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $158 per month, with Bengbu 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 Bengbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bengbu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bengbu earns 27% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $278 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $410 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $649 in Bengbu versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bengbu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bengbu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bengbu 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.

Expats usually find Bengbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.