Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Changshu

For one person, living is cheaper in Changshu: $712 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Changshu
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Changshu Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Changshu

🇨🇳 China

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Changshu

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 Changshu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $712 in Changshu.

Medellin $1,614
Changshu $712

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $1,128 in Changshu.

Medellin $2,402
Changshu $1,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $1,544 in Changshu.

Medellin $3,190
Changshu $1,544

Living in Medellin is roughly 127% more expensive than in Changshu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Changshu is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$2.83 ¥18.91

180.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$21.95 ¥147

110.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.91 ¥32.85

93.48%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.93 ¥19.60

6.14%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.46 ¥3.08

297.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.27 ¥1.79

411.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$0.87 ¥5.82

250.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.04 ¥13.66

169.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.88 ¥12.59

-22.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.55 ¥10.38

52.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.89 ¥5.97

88.76%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.58 ¥10.58

81.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$12.80 ¥85.6

-20.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$3.16 ¥21.10

201.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$10.02 ¥67.0

40.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.87 ¥12.49

117.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.25 ¥8.35

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.55 ¥10.37

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.15 ¥7.70

100.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.70 ¥4.66

175.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.95 ¥6.33

72.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.56 ¥3.72

101.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.51 ¥3.39

145.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.22 ¥21.52

23.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$10.47 ¥70.0

27.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$0.78 ¥5.22

117.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.57 ¥10.53

50.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.27 ¥1.79

348.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$16.48 ¥110

364.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.42 ¥9.51

-7.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.33 ¥2.17

548.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$6.63 ¥44.35

27.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.12 ¥7.52

16.07%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$19.6K ¥130.7K

43.14%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$17.2K ¥115.1K

105.70%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$46.01 ¥308

274.03%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$9.96 ¥66.6

34.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$11.63 ¥77.8

147.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$41.09 ¥275

10.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$14.00 ¥93.6

21.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$5.81 ¥38.83

8.09%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$329 ¥2,198

134.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$16.9K ¥112.9K

-46.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$43.18 ¥289

100.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$30.03 ¥201

90.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$72.2 ¥483

89.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$71.7 ¥479

36.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$280 ¥1,870

277.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$192 ¥1,283

220.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$597 ¥3,995

216.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$357 ¥2,385

186.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,988 ¥20.0K

35.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$2,068 ¥13.8K

-18.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.89

181.23%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Changshu: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Changshu

$192 27% 68.8% $424

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Changshu

$198 27.8% 32.9% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Changshu

$68 9.5% 68.4% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Changshu

$98 13.7% 42.6% $72

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Changshu

$84 11.8% 50.2% $84

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Changshu

$21 2.9% 77.9% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Changshu

$53 7.4% 8.8% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $280 in Changshu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Changshu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $198 per month, with Changshu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Changshu

🕒 Local time

00:31 12:31 AM

13:31 1:31 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,677,050

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Changshu 15,460 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Changshu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changshu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,421 in Medellin and $1,068 in Changshu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Medellin versus $280 in Changshu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changshu – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,614 per month in Medellin versus $712 in Changshu – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $712 in Changshu versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changshu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Changshu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changshu 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Changshu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Changshu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.