Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Changzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Changzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $733 in Changzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,214 in Changzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,695 in Changzhou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 134% more expensive than in Changzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Changzhou is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$3.01 ¥20.18

166.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$28.60 ¥192

68.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$4.56 ¥30.62

114.25%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.11 ¥14.19

37.91%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.38 ¥2.57

410.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.23 ¥1.54

560.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$0.57 ¥3.84

442.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$1.45 ¥9.75

295.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.93 ¥12.94

-29.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.28 ¥8.57

86.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$0.96 ¥6.43

77.08%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$1.63 ¥10.91

76.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$7.53 ¥50.5

32.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$2.88 ¥19.36

274.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$12.37 ¥83.0

19.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.11 ¥14.16

93.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.73 ¥11.59

-9.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$2.05 ¥13.74

3.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.09 ¥7.30

102.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$0.87 ¥5.83

135.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$0.93 ¥6.23

61.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$0.42 ¥2.79

183.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.68 ¥4.59

70.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.26 ¥21.84

19.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$10.49 ¥70.4

37.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$0.93 ¥6.26

69.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$1.59 ¥10.67

77.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.35 ¥2.32

234.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$14.09 ¥94.5

451.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.47 ¥9.83

-12.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.31 ¥2.09

574.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$2.86 ¥19.17

201.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.26 ¥8.47

3.17%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$17.3K ¥115.9K

60.15%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$13.9K ¥93.5K

154.91%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$63.2 ¥424

178.72%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$8.63 ¥57.9

54.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$10.42 ¥69.9

186.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$40.42 ¥271

10.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$15.00 ¥101

13.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$4.55 ¥30.55

36.26%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$252 ¥1,691

214.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$14.9K ¥99.7K

-39.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$48.92 ¥328

75.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$27.76 ¥186

110.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$73.1 ¥491

86.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$75.1 ¥504

37.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$284 ¥1,906

273.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$232 ¥1,555

193.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$918 ¥6,158

119.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$503 ¥3,378

132.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$2,950 ¥19.8K

39.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,603 ¥10.8K

6.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$1,067 ¥7,157

-37.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.35

226.57%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Changzhou 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 $29.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $194 per month, with Changzhou 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 Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 134% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Changzhou. 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $284 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Changzhou – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $733 in Changzhou versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changzhou but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Changzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changzhou 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.

Expats usually find Changzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.