Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chenzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chenzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Medellin vs $728 in Chenzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,596 per month in Medellin vs $1,144 in Chenzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,178 per month in Medellin vs $1,560 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Medellin costs about 39% more than Chenzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Chenzhou are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 25% lower, Chenzhou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.1K

$2.87 ¥19.58

113.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.0K

$21.27 ¥145

55.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$4.98 ¥34.03

46.99%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,973

$1.43 ¥9.75

16.08%

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

$1.10 COP 3,978

$0.46 ¥3.13

139.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,816

$0.27 ¥1.85

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,174

$1.09 ¥7.42

56.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.4K

$1.85 ¥12.67

71.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,003

$1.99 ¥13.61

-44.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,709

$2.23 ¥15.25

-41.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,969

$0.73 ¥4.98

89.04%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 7,992

$1.67 ¥11.37

32.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.6K

$15.71 ¥107

-72.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$3.10 ¥21.14

87.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.3K

$8.78 ¥60.0

2.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,146

$0.54 ¥3.71

318.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,014

$1.09 ¥7.44

1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,273

$0.69 ¥4.71

111.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,918

$1.13 ¥7.72

21.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,000

$0.95 ¥6.51

16.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,190

$1.41 ¥9.66

-17.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,204

$0.47 ¥3.24

89.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,117

$0.39 ¥2.67

123.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,476

$2.78 ¥18.97

-15.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.1K

$12.51 ¥85.5

-13.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,321

$0.94 ¥6.45

27.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,927

$1.41 ¥9.64

75.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,836

$0.29 ¥2.00

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 146.8K

$16.74 ¥114

143.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,125

$1.27 ¥8.69

11.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,885

$0.26 ¥1.75

634.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$8.54 ¥58.3

-10.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,482

$1.12 ¥7.62

-13.39%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$20.7K ¥141.2K

-12.46%

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

$26.3K COP 94.8M

$21.5K ¥147.1K

22.18%

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

$81.3 COP 292.9K

$42.88 ¥293

89.62%

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

$9.63 COP 34.7K

$12.53 ¥85.6

-23.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 87.8K

$14.53 ¥99.2

67.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.7K

$41.09 ¥281

-36.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.1K

$13.76 ¥94.0

37.50%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$5.90 ¥40.28

-34.07%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$316 ¥2,161

-3.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$7,346 ¥50.2K

-19.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.4K

$84.7 ¥578

-30.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.0K

$31.01 ¥212

4.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 366.5K

$83.1 ¥567

22.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$68.9 ¥471

56.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$276 ¥1,883

72.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$191 ¥1,303

94.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$589 ¥4,022

44.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$356 ¥2,434

101.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.3M

$2,867 ¥19.6K

0.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

$2,040 ¥13.9K

-32.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.89

245.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Last update for Chenzhou: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $474 in Medellin versus $276 in Chenzhou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Medellin versus $21 in Chenzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $203 in Chenzhou – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Chenzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,014 in Medellin, $728 in Chenzhou – roughly 39% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,522 per month in Medellin and $1,092 in Chenzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 144% less in Chenzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $304 per month in Medellin and $316 in Chenzhou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chenzhou, where all-in costs run around $728, than in Medellin at $1,014. In Chenzhou 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 $728 in Chenzhou to $1,014 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chenzhou. 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.