Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Changde Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Changde

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Medellin vs $673 in Changde, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,596 per month in Medellin vs $1,069 in Changde, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,178 per month in Medellin vs $1,465 in Changde, rent included.

Medellin costs about 51% more than Changde, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Changde are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 25% lower, Changde 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.1K

$2.06 ¥14.06

198.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.0K

$16.85 ¥115

96.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$4.79 ¥32.69

52.82%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,973

$2.22 ¥15.18

-25.23%

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

$1.10 COP 3,978

$0.40 ¥2.73

175.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,816

$0.27 ¥1.86

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,174

$1.09 ¥7.42

56.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.4K

$1.91 ¥13.07

65.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,003

$1.93 ¥13.17

-42.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,709

$1.69 ¥11.57

-22.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,969

$0.73 ¥4.98

89.04%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 7,992

$1.68 ¥11.48

32.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.6K

$15.80 ¥108

-72.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$3.13 ¥21.36

85.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.3K

$9.19 ¥62.8

-2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,146

$1.61 ¥11.00

40.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,014

$1.08 ¥7.37

2.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,273

$1.05 ¥7.17

39.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,918

$0.82 ¥5.59

67.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,000

$0.58 ¥3.93

91.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,190

$0.71 ¥4.86

63.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,204

$0.34 ¥2.32

161.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,117

$0.40 ¥2.73

117.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,476

$2.77 ¥18.94

-15.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.1K

$12.32 ¥84.1

-11.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,321

$0.89 ¥6.06

34.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,927

$0.67 ¥4.57

270.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,836

$0.29 ¥1.98

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 146.8K

$16.82 ¥115

142.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,125

$1.05 ¥7.20

35.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,885

$0.28 ¥1.92

582.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$8.28 ¥56.6

-7.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,482

$1.18 ¥8.03

-17.80%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$20.8K ¥141.8K

-12.83%

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

$26.3K COP 94.8M

$21.7K ¥148.3K

21.15%

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

$81.3 COP 292.9K

$42.91 ¥293

89.49%

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

$9.63 COP 34.7K

$12.54 ¥85.6

-23.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 87.8K

$14.41 ¥98.4

69.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.7K

$42.27 ¥289

-38.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.1K

$14.17 ¥96.8

33.52%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$4.15 ¥28.35

-6.27%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$184 ¥1,257

65.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$7,252 ¥49.5K

-18.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.4K

$27.32 ¥187

114.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.0K

$28.02 ¥191

15.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 366.5K

$83.0 ¥567

22.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$41.70 ¥285

159.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$280 ¥1,910

69.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$190 ¥1,298

95.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$583 ¥3,982

45.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$363 ¥2,479

97.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.3M

$3,055 ¥20.9K

-6.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

$1,886 ¥12.9K

-27.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.89

245.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Last update for Changde: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $474 in Medellin versus $280 in Changde. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Medellin versus $17 in Changde. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $199 in Changde – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 51% more than Changde, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,522 per month in Medellin and $1,009 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $17.00 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 $1,014 in Medellin and $673 in Changde. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Changde, where all-in costs run around $673, than in Medellin at $1,014. In Changde it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Changde costs $673 versus $1,014 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Changde. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.