Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bozhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bozhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $695 in Bozhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,082 in Bozhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,469 in Bozhou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 46% more expensive than Bozhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Bozhou 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$1.37 ¥9.25

337.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$21.06 ¥143

56.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$4.61 ¥31.24

53.80%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$3.10 ¥20.98

-44.84%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.35 ¥2.40

214.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.27 ¥1.82

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$1.13 ¥7.64

48.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$1.63 ¥11.04

88.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$1.09 ¥7.41

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$1.61 ¥10.93

-21.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$0.90 ¥6.13

53.33%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$1.58 ¥10.70

38.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$12.69 ¥85.9

-65.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$3.20 ¥21.66

75.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$10.33 ¥70.0

-13.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$1.74 ¥11.80

34.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.24 ¥8.42

-14.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.41 ¥9.56

6.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$1.14 ¥7.69

21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$0.68 ¥4.64

69.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$0.97 ¥6.55

19.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.60 ¥4.09

48.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.51 ¥3.45

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$3.21 ¥21.76

-28.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$9.58 ¥64.9

11.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$0.76 ¥5.12

57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$1.60 ¥10.87

54.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.29 ¥1.97

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$16.77 ¥114

146.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$0.93 ¥6.27

58.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.34 ¥2.33

476.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$6.70 ¥45.35

15.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.18 ¥8.02

-19.49%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$19.5K ¥132.1K

-7.07%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$16.7K ¥113.0K

58.81%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$46.12 ¥312

78.34%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$9.52 ¥64.5

-0.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$7.12 ¥48.21

240.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$42.31 ¥287

-38.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$14.05 ¥95.1

35.23%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.44 ¥43.65

-38.98%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$337 ¥2,282

-8.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$17.1K ¥115.9K

-65.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$43.68 ¥296

34.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$29.91 ¥203

8.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$70.9 ¥480

44.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$74.1 ¥502

46.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$283 ¥1,920

67.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$190 ¥1,288

99.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$585 ¥3,965

43.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$356 ¥2,408

103.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$3,283 ¥22.2K

-15.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,759 ¥11.9K

-31.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$734 ¥4,971

-30.27%

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 Bozhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $283 in Bozhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bozhou pays 43% 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 $21.00 in Bozhou. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $188, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Bozhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bozhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bozhou earns 43% 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 $283 in Bozhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bozhou – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $695 in Bozhou – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $695 in Bozhou versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bozhou but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bozhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bozhou 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 Bozhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.