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: $1,716 in Medellin versus $656 in Bozhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,059 in Bozhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,461 in Bozhou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 161% more expensive than in Bozhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Bozhou is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$1.48 ¥9.91

442.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$21.91 ¥147

120.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$4.53 ¥30.39

115.67%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.61 ¥17.54

11.49%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.38 ¥2.57

410.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.27 ¥1.79

462.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$1.06 ¥7.13

191.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$1.83 ¥12.26

213.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.23 ¥8.22

10.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$2.03 ¥13.62

17.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$0.47 ¥3.13

261.70%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$0.91 ¥6.09

215.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$13.67 ¥91.7

-27.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$2.20 ¥14.76

390.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$10.37 ¥69.6

42.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.22 ¥8.17

235.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.02 ¥6.87

53.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$0.71 ¥4.78

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$0.77 ¥5.17

187.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$0.43 ¥2.89

376.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$0.61 ¥4.06

145.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$0.61 ¥4.06

95.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.57 ¥3.85

103.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.00 ¥20.10

30.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$11.88 ¥79.7

21.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$0.93 ¥6.22

69.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$1.17 ¥7.82

141.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.29 ¥1.94

303.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$18.97 ¥127

309.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.06 ¥7.09

20.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.34 ¥2.29

514.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$3.58 ¥24.05

140.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.08 ¥7.28

20.37%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$19.4K ¥130.4K

42.31%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$16.5K ¥110.4K

115.74%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$49.63 ¥333

254.77%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$4.28 ¥28.71

212.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$7.25 ¥48.65

312.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$41.55 ¥279

7.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$14.54 ¥97.6

17.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$3.83 ¥25.70

61.88%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$239 ¥1,601

232.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$8,506 ¥57.1K

6.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$43.73 ¥293

95.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$33.04 ¥222

76.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$64.0 ¥430

112.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$73.2 ¥491

40.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$332 ¥2,227

219.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$190 ¥1,273

258.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$581 ¥3,900

246.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$421 ¥2,825

177.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$2,766 ¥18.6K

48.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,925 ¥12.9K

-11.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$734 ¥4,928

-9.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.15

247.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bozhou: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $332 in Bozhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bozhou pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Bozhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $183 per month, with Bozhou 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 Bozhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bozhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 161% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Bozhou. 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $332 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 $22.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $656 in Bozhou – a 161% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $656 in Bozhou versus $1,716 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 161% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.