Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Changsha Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Changsha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $768 in Changsha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,267 in Changsha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,765 in Changsha.

Living in Medellin is roughly 119% more expensive than in Changsha, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Changsha is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$2.95 ¥19.79

171.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$22.16 ¥148

116.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.01 ¥33.57

97.41%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.50 ¥23.46

-10.57%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.47 ¥3.14

306.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.25 ¥1.66

504.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.29 ¥8.67

141.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$1.98 ¥13.24

190.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$2.00 ¥13.38

-28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.32 ¥15.52

7.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.96 ¥6.42

84.38%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.72 ¥11.52

72.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$13.02 ¥87.2

-22.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.91 ¥26.17

158.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$11.71 ¥78.4

22.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.82 ¥18.91

46.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.39 ¥9.30

15.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.84 ¥12.33

22.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.92 ¥12.83

17.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.95 ¥6.36

114.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.63 ¥10.95

-5.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.64 ¥4.30

82.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.52 ¥3.47

151.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.95 ¥19.78

32.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$12.53 ¥83.9

11.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.04 ¥6.94

67.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.59 ¥10.66

80.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.36 ¥2.41

238.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$14.64 ¥98.0

449.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.53 ¥10.25

-14.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.29 ¥1.92

655.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$4.37 ¥29.24

99.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.26 ¥8.44

8.73%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$19.2K ¥128.8K

44.79%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$17.5K ¥116.9K

104.90%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$55.4 ¥371

220.09%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$8.91 ¥59.7

55.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$13.53 ¥90.6

119.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$55.0 ¥368

-18.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$23.82 ¥160

-28.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$6.32 ¥42.33

5.22%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$321 ¥2,149

153.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$16.7K ¥111.8K

-44.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$82.3 ¥551

8.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$34.29 ¥230

71.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$89.3 ¥598

54.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$59.2 ¥397

72.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$263 ¥1,761

303.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$169 ¥1,130

293.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$551 ¥3,693

242.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$377 ¥2,523

172.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,481 ¥16.6K

68.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,416 ¥9,482

18.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,082 ¥7,246

-37.35%

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 14, 2026

Last update for Changsha: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $263 in Changsha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changsha pays 60% 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 Changsha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $235 per month, with Changsha 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 Changsha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Changsha differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $768 including rent). Changsha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Changsha. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $263 in Changsha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changsha – 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 $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $768 in Changsha – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $768 in Changsha versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Changsha but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Changsha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Changsha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.