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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $708 in Changzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,160 in Changzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,612 in Changzhou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 43% more expensive than Changzhou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Changzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$2.84 ¥19.24

110.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$26.70 ¥181

23.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$4.24 ¥28.74

67.22%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$2.95 ¥20.00

-42.03%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.48 ¥3.22

129.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.25 ¥1.68

212.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$0.69 ¥4.66

143.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$1.42 ¥9.64

116.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$1.99 ¥13.49

-45.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$1.27 ¥8.61

-0.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$0.93 ¥6.30

48.39%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$1.80 ¥12.18

21.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$6.80 ¥46.08

-35.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$2.41 ¥16.33

133.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$9.43 ¥63.9

-5.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$1.77 ¥12.00

32.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.79 ¥12.11

-40.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.65 ¥11.16

-9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$0.96 ¥6.51

43.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$0.73 ¥4.96

57.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$0.92 ¥6.22

26.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.39 ¥2.65

128.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.49 ¥3.30

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$3.01 ¥20.42

-24.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$10.32 ¥69.9

3.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$0.69 ¥4.65

73.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$1.62 ¥11.00

52.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.30 ¥2.01

186.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$13.20 ¥89.4

213.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$1.35 ¥9.14

8.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.28 ¥1.91

600.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$2.71 ¥18.34

185.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.16 ¥7.85

-18.10%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$15.4K ¥104.2K

17.90%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$17.4K ¥117.7K

52.45%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$44.68 ¥303

84.09%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$11.47 ¥77.7

-17.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$18.22 ¥123

32.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$38.78 ¥263

-33.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$14.10 ¥95.5

34.75%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.43 ¥43.53

-38.88%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$230 ¥1,560

34.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$13.9K ¥94.0K

-57.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$46.28 ¥313

26.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$26.00 ¥176

24.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$70.6 ¥478

45.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$69.0 ¥467

57.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$285 ¥1,931

67.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$204 ¥1,384

85.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$844 ¥5,715

-0.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$472 ¥3,196

53.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$2,967 ¥20.1K

-5.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,597 ¥10.8K

-24.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$1,140 ¥7,722

-55.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.35

300.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $285 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changzhou pays 123% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $174 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Changzhou earns 123% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $285 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% 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 $27.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $708 in Changzhou versus $1,013 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 43% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.