Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chengdu Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chengdu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $759 in Chengdu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,226 in Chengdu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,692 in Chengdu, rent included.

Medellin costs about 121% more than Chengdu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Chengdu is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 24.9K

$2.91 ¥19.51

175.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 148.7K

$19.82 ¥133

141.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.7K

$5.34 ¥35.78

85.21%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,724

$2.89 ¥19.40

8.30%

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

$1.91 COP 5,928

$0.50 ¥3.36

282.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,692

$0.28 ¥1.88

439.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,705

$1.46 ¥9.79

113.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.44 ¥16.37

135.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,489

$1.80 ¥12.08

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,725

$1.67 ¥11.17

49.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,510

$0.93 ¥6.25

90.32%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,195

$1.54 ¥10.30

92.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.3K

$14.12 ¥94.6

-28.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.4K

$3.50 ¥23.45

189.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.4K

$11.43 ¥76.6

25.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.8K

$1.85 ¥12.41

123.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 4,997

$1.27 ¥8.48

26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,976

$1.06 ¥7.12

112.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,997

$1.25 ¥8.36

80.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,347

$0.70 ¥4.71

191.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,769

$0.73 ¥4.86

110.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,635

$0.68 ¥4.59

72.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,059

$0.55 ¥3.70

138.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.1K

$3.78 ¥25.32

3.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$5.45 ¥36.49

157.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,415

$0.76 ¥5.12

128.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,917

$1.47 ¥9.82

95.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,776

$0.46 ¥3.11

165.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 250.0K

$24.55 ¥165

227.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,066

$1.32 ¥8.83

-0.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,796

$0.29 ¥1.91

655.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.1K

$4.45 ¥29.80

95.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,241

$1.24 ¥8.31

10.48%

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

$27.8K COP 86.5M

$19.6K ¥131.0K

42.34%

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

$35.8K COP 111.1M

$17.6K ¥118.2K

102.82%

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

$177 COP 550.8K

$41.28 ¥277

329.51%

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

$13.88 COP 43.1K

$9.61 ¥64.4

44.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.4K

$12.79 ¥85.7

132.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 139.4K

$26.65 ¥179

68.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.2K

$11.07 ¥74.2

54.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$5.93 ¥39.76

12.14%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$411 ¥2,753

97.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.5M

$14.8K ¥99.0K

-37.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 278.0K

$29.38 ¥197

204.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 183.2K

$30.00 ¥201

96.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 429.4K

$60.5 ¥405

128.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 317.3K

$51.1 ¥343

99.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$485 ¥3,249

119.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$261 ¥1,748

154.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$860 ¥5,763

119.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$561 ¥3,757

83.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.0M

$3,788 ¥25.4K

10.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,965 ¥13.2K

-14.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,276 ¥8,549

-46.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.38

223.67%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $485 in Chengdu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 88% higher in Chengdu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $20.00 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $197 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,681 in Medellin, $759 in Chengdu – roughly 121% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,139 in Chengdu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengdu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $20.00 in Chengdu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $759 in Chengdu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chengdu, where all-in costs run around $759, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Chengdu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $759 in Chengdu to $1,681 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chengdu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.