Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Binzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Binzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $787 in Binzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,229 in Binzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,671 in Binzhou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 118% more expensive than in Binzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Binzhou is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$3.00 ¥20.11

167.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$17.64 ¥118

173.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$4.57 ¥30.65

113.79%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.69 ¥18.08

8.18%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.55 ¥3.66

252.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.30 ¥2.01

406.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$1.13 ¥7.57

173.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.66 ¥17.86

115.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.88 ¥12.63

-27.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.37 ¥9.17

74.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.02 ¥6.83

66.67%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$1.30 ¥8.72

120.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$15.92 ¥107

-37.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$4.39 ¥29.46

145.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$9.97 ¥66.9

47.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.39 ¥9.33

194.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.14 ¥7.66

37.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.65 ¥11.08

29.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.26 ¥8.44

75.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$0.71 ¥4.76

188.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$0.95 ¥6.40

57.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$0.94 ¥6.28

26.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.60 ¥4.02

93.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.65 ¥24.51

6.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$14.46 ¥97.0

-0.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.06 ¥7.13

49.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$1.62 ¥10.86

74.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.31 ¥2.11

277.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$19.62 ¥132

296.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.02 ¥6.84

25.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.41 ¥2.76

409.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$8.74 ¥58.6

-1.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.24 ¥8.32

4.84%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$19.3K ¥129.7K

43.13%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$16.6K ¥111.5K

113.61%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$69.0 ¥463

155.25%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$6.93 ¥46.49

92.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$7.91 ¥53.1

277.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$40.49 ¥272

10.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$15.17 ¥102

12.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$5.96 ¥39.96

4.03%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$361 ¥2,422

119.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$17.7K ¥118.5K

-48.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$51.1 ¥343

67.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$48.12 ¥323

21.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$93.1 ¥624

46.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$90.5 ¥607

13.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$291 ¥1,954

263.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$183 ¥1,228

271.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$610 ¥4,091

230.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$375 ¥2,516

211.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$2,781 ¥18.7K

47.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,722 ¥11.6K

-1.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$562 ¥3,768

18.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.37

224.63%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Binzhou: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $291 in Binzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 18% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $18.00 in Binzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $221 per month, with Binzhou 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 Binzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Binzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,060 in Medellin versus $291 in Binzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $361 in Binzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $787 in Binzhou versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Binzhou but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Binzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Binzhou 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 Binzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.