Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Changshu Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Changshu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $713 in Changshu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,130 in Changshu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,548 in Changshu.

Living in Medellin is roughly 141% more expensive than in Changshu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Changshu is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$2.71 ¥18.17

196.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$21.58 ¥145

123.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$4.75 ¥31.88

105.68%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$3.09 ¥20.76

-5.83%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.46 ¥3.09

321.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.27 ¥1.79

462.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$0.96 ¥6.41

221.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.12 ¥14.23

170.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.79 ¥11.99

-24.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.53 ¥10.30

56.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$0.94 ¥6.33

80.85%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$1.60 ¥10.77

79.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$13.00 ¥87.2

-23.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$3.28 ¥22.04

228.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$10.34 ¥69.4

42.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.80 ¥12.06

127.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.21 ¥8.12

29.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.49 ¥10.01

42.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.14 ¥7.63

93.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$0.74 ¥4.94

177.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$0.88 ¥5.93

70.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$0.59 ¥3.97

101.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.52 ¥3.46

123.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.05 ¥20.46

27.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$10.68 ¥71.7

35.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$0.80 ¥5.40

97.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$1.67 ¥11.19

69.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.29 ¥1.96

303.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$16.38 ¥110

374.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.36 ¥9.11

-5.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.36 ¥2.39

480.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$6.84 ¥45.89

26.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.13 ¥7.59

15.04%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$19.8K ¥132.8K

39.73%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$17.1K ¥114.9K

107.42%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$44.75 ¥300

293.45%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$10.06 ¥67.5

32.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$11.55 ¥77.5

158.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$41.37 ¥278

8.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$14.13 ¥94.8

20.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$5.75 ¥38.61

7.83%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$333 ¥2,236

138.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$16.8K ¥112.9K

-46.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$43.17 ¥290

98.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$30.34 ¥204

92.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$72.7 ¥488

87.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$72.7 ¥488

41.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$284 ¥1,905

273.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$195 ¥1,311

247.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$594 ¥3,985

238.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$360 ¥2,414

224.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$3,059 ¥20.5K

34.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$2,052 ¥13.8K

-17.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Changshu: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $284 in Changshu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Changshu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $199 per month, with Changshu 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 Changshu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changshu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,574 in Medellin and $1,069 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $284 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 $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $713 in Changshu – a 141% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $713 in Changshu versus $1,716 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 141% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.