Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Changde

For one person, living is cheaper in Changde: $654 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Changde
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Changde Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Changde

🇨🇳 China

$654

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Changde

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Changde actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $654 in Changde, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Changde $654

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,126 in Changde, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Changde $1,126

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,599 in Changde, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Changde $1,599

Medellin costs about 151% more than Changde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Changde is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$2.18 ¥14.54

271.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$18.34 ¥122

156.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$5.06 ¥33.67

87.75%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$2.30 ¥15.30

30.87%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.43 ¥2.89

318.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.25 ¥1.65

464.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.23 ¥8.21

158.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$1.97 ¥13.10

191.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.54 ¥10.24

-1.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$2.30 ¥15.34

3.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$0.94 ¥6.22

88.30%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$1.74 ¥11.57

66.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$12.85 ¥85.6

-20.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$4.05 ¥26.93

143.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$11.60 ¥77.2

20.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$1.62 ¥10.80

145.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.16 ¥7.75

33.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$1.13 ¥7.55

92.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$0.87 ¥5.80

150.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.59 ¥3.91

232.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$0.72 ¥4.79

120.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$0.38 ¥2.55

202.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.49 ¥3.26

153.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.91 ¥19.38

36.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$12.45 ¥82.8

9.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$1.05 ¥6.97

58.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$0.79 ¥5.24

186.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.31 ¥2.08

277.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$18.31 ¥122

322.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$1.22 ¥8.15

4.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$0.31 ¥2.07

561.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$4.48 ¥29.78

90.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.31 ¥8.71

3.05%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$19.3K ¥128.2K

76.83%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$17.4K ¥116.0K

98.92%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$57.9 ¥385

193.11%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$9.34 ¥62.2

45.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$11.28 ¥75.1

148.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$41.58 ¥277

5.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$15.20 ¥101

13.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$5.84 ¥38.89

18.32%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$333 ¥2,213

139.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$16.5K ¥110.1K

-44.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$82.7 ¥550

2.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$34.87 ¥232

66.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$87.9 ¥585

53.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$59.2 ¥394

65.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$133 ¥885

808.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$98.5 ¥656

551.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$597 ¥3,970

239.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$367 ¥2,442

175.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$3,533 ¥23.5K

18.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,951 ¥13.0K

-2.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$764 ¥5,087

-14.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.46

216.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Changde: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Changde

$99 15.1% 84.6% $543

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Changde

$209 32% 29.6% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Changde

$79 12% 62.8% $133

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Changde

$73 11.2% 56.9% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Changde

$119 18.2% 29.5% $50

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Changde

$22 3.4% 76.1% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Changde

$53 8.2% 7.4% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $133 in Changde. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 16% higher in Changde, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $18 in Changde. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $209 – making Changde the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Changde

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

16:59 4:59 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

5,717,200

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Changde 16,010 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Changde

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Changde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 151% more than Changde, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $981 in Changde. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Changde, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $133 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $18 in Changde. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $654 in Changde. That makes Changde about 60% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Changde, where all-in costs run around $654, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Changde it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Changde – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Changde is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 60% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.