Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Changchun Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Changchun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $721 in Changchun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,112 in Changchun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,503 in Changchun.

Living in Medellin is roughly 40% more expensive than Changchun, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Changchun 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$2.72 ¥18.38

120.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$20.09 ¥136

63.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$4.76 ¥32.21

48.95%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.67 ¥18.04

-35.96%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.46 ¥3.09

139.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.27 ¥1.81

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$0.86 ¥5.80

95.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.04 ¥13.80

50.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.94 ¥13.12

-43.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.23 ¥8.31

2.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.21 ¥8.20

14.05%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.06 ¥7.20

106.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$13.07 ¥88.4

-66.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.51 ¥23.70

60.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$8.61 ¥58.2

3.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.45 ¥9.79

61.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.06 ¥7.14

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$0.83 ¥5.58

80.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.35 ¥9.15

2.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.68 ¥4.57

69.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.62 ¥4.16

87.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.44 ¥2.98

102.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.51 ¥3.45

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$3.15 ¥21.31

-27.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$12.02 ¥81.3

-11.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$0.72 ¥4.89

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$0.96 ¥6.49

157.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.29 ¥1.99

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$16.85 ¥114

145.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.09 ¥7.34

34.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.26 ¥1.75

653.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$3.29 ¥22.25

135.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.13 ¥7.67

-15.93%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$18.3K ¥123.9K

-1.04%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$19.2K ¥129.8K

37.93%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$41.43 ¥280

98.53%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$14.73 ¥99.6

-35.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$14.13 ¥95.6

71.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$42.61 ¥288

-39.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$3.79 ¥25.60

401.32%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.95 ¥33.44

-20.61%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$280 ¥1,891

10.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$8,289 ¥56.1K

-28.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$27.97 ¥189

109.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$31.03 ¥210

4.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$73.2 ¥495

40.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$79.4 ¥537

36.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$275 ¥1,863

72.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$228 ¥1,539

66.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$599 ¥4,048

40.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$365 ¥2,466

98.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,804 ¥12.2K

54.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,125 ¥7,607

7.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$962 ¥6,504

-46.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.27

154.84%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Changchun: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $275 in Changchun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changchun pays 88% 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 $20.00 in Changchun. 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 Changchun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changchun is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Changchun earns 88% 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 $275 in Changchun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Changchun runs roughly 146% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $280 in Changchun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $721 in Changchun versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changchun but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Changchun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changchun 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 Changchun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.