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: $1,014 in Medellin versus $657 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Medellin versus $1,050 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Medellin versus $1,443 in Bengbu.

Living in Medellin is roughly 54% more expensive than Bengbu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Bengbu 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.2K

$2.84 ¥19.40

116.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.3K

$22.65 ¥155

45.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$4.85 ¥33.12

50.93%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,987

$3.11 ¥21.26

-46.62%

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

$1.10 COP 3,987

$0.45 ¥3.05

144.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,822

$0.24 ¥1.63

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,188

$0.80 ¥5.47

113.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.5K

$2.15 ¥14.70

47.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,012

$2.06 ¥14.07

-46.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,719

$1.01 ¥6.92

29.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,980

$0.67 ¥4.54

105.97%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 8,009

$1.49 ¥10.20

48.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.7K

$9.31 ¥63.6

-53.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$2.84 ¥19.36

104.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.4K

$9.18 ¥62.7

-2.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,164

$1.36 ¥9.32

66.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,023

$1.01 ¥6.88

9.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,284

$1.36 ¥9.32

7.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,929

$0.71 ¥4.85

92.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,009

$0.58 ¥3.93

91.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,199

$0.58 ¥3.98

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,211

$0.71 ¥4.85

25.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,124

$0.44 ¥2.99

97.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,495

$2.82 ¥19.26

-16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.2K

$6.03 ¥41.16

80.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,330

$0.71 ¥4.87

69.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,946

$1.35 ¥9.21

83.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,842

$0.29 ¥1.99

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 147.2K

$16.96 ¥116

140.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,137

$1.49 ¥10.17

-4.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,900

$0.33 ¥2.22

478.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$8.23 ¥56.2

-7.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,490

$1.18 ¥8.05

-17.80%

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

$18.1K COP 65.3M

$17.1K ¥117.0K

5.66%

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

$26.3K COP 95.0M

$14.2K ¥97.0K

85.22%

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

$81.3 COP 293.5K

$34.29 ¥234

137.12%

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

$9.63 COP 34.8K

$4.94 ¥33.73

94.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 88.0K

$8.48 ¥57.9

187.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.9K

$42.48 ¥290

-38.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.3K

$14.01 ¥95.7

35.05%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$5.65 ¥38.59

-31.15%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$411 ¥2,807

-25.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$18.2K ¥124.2K

-67.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.8K

$43.09 ¥294

36.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.2K

$32.50 ¥222

-0.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 367.3K

$67.2 ¥459

51.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 390.4K

$82.1 ¥561

31.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$282 ¥1,929

67.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$184 ¥1,256

101.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$593 ¥4,053

42.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$360 ¥2,459

98.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.4M

$3,185 ¥21.8K

-9.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

$1,807 ¥12.3K

-23.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 2.0M

$660 ¥4,508

-17.95%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Medellin and $282 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bengbu pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $23 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $160 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 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bengbu earns 22% 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: $474 in Medellin versus $282 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Medellin versus $411 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 $657 in Bengbu versus $1,014 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 54% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.