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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $655 in Changde, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,141 in Changde, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,626 in Changde, rent included.

Medellin costs about 150% more than Changde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Changde is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.27 ¥15.18

254.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$17.86 ¥120

170.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$4.86 ¥32.58

93.83%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$2.30 ¥15.42

27.83%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$0.46 ¥3.08

304.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$0.27 ¥1.82

440.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$1.20 ¥8.07

167.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.97 ¥13.23

189.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$1.51 ¥10.12

-4.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$2.21 ¥14.81

8.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$0.90 ¥6.06

88.89%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$1.68 ¥11.24

72.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$13.18 ¥88.3

-23.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.90 ¥26.11

155.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$11.79 ¥79.0

20.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.67 ¥11.21

138.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$1.16 ¥7.78

36.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$1.14 ¥7.63

88.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$0.87 ¥5.86

164.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$0.63 ¥4.20

217.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$0.77 ¥5.15

96.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$0.39 ¥2.59

207.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$0.49 ¥3.26

161.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.05 ¥20.45

25.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$12.44 ¥83.3

12.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$1.03 ¥6.91

66.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$0.73 ¥4.89

275.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$0.29 ¥1.93

331.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

$18.17 ¥122

328.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$1.22 ¥8.17

7.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$0.31 ¥2.11

600.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$4.46 ¥29.85

85.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$1.21 ¥8.09

12.40%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$19.7K ¥132.0K

39.34%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$17.5K ¥117.3K

108.61%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$56.5 ¥379

198.57%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$9.09 ¥60.9

49.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$11.11 ¥74.4

154.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$42.08 ¥282

8.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$14.56 ¥97.5

18.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$5.64 ¥37.80

17.91%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$329 ¥2,200

144.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$16.9K ¥113.5K

-45.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$84.1 ¥563

3.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$34.22 ¥229

73.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$89.8 ¥601

54.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$60.7 ¥406

68.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$135 ¥906

691.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$95.7 ¥641

582.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$598 ¥4,008

221.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$369 ¥2,471

184.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,749 ¥18.4K

49.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,948 ¥13.0K

-12.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$745 ¥4,990

-12.08%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Changde: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $135 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 14% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $18.00 in Changde. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $209 – making Changde the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 150% more than Changde, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $2,462 per month in Medellin and $983 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $18.00 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 $1,641 in Medellin and $655 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 $655, than in Medellin at $1,641. 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 $655 versus $1,641 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.