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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $726 in Chenzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,171 in Chenzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,615 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Medellin costs about 126% more than Chenzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Chenzhou is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.95 ¥19.74

172.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$22.59 ¥151

113.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$4.99 ¥33.45

88.78%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.47 ¥9.87

100.00%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.51 ¥3.44

264.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.27 ¥1.82

440.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.24 ¥8.27

158.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.92 ¥12.84

197.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.02 ¥13.55

-28.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.35 ¥15.76

2.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.73 ¥4.86

132.88%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.71 ¥11.45

69.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$12.84 ¥86.0

-21.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.03 ¥26.98

147.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$11.74 ¥78.7

20.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$0.62 ¥4.15

541.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.16 ¥7.77

36.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.73 ¥4.86

194.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.17 ¥7.85

96.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.99 ¥6.63

102.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.53 ¥10.27

-1.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.63 ¥4.23

90.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.49 ¥3.27

161.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.05 ¥20.40

25.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$12.64 ¥84.7

10.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.07 ¥7.13

59.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.61 ¥10.76

70.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.31 ¥2.09

303.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$18.10 ¥121

330.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.53 ¥10.23

-14.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.29 ¥1.92

648.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$4.37 ¥29.26

89.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.21 ¥8.13

12.40%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$19.5K ¥130.6K

40.85%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$17.6K ¥117.9K

107.64%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$57.2 ¥383

195.12%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$8.81 ¥59.0

54.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$11.31 ¥75.7

150.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$41.34 ¥277

10.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$14.89 ¥99.7

15.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.20 ¥41.54

7.26%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$328 ¥2,194

145.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$16.6K ¥111.4K

-44.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$82.9 ¥555

5.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$34.88 ¥234

70.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$87.9 ¥589

57.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$60.1 ¥402

69.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$288 ¥1,927

272.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$181 ¥1,215

259.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$611 ¥4,095

214.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$378 ¥2,531

177.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$3,168 ¥21.2K

30.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,951 ¥13.1K

-13.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.46

216.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Chenzhou: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $288 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $23.00 in Chenzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $214 – making Chenzhou 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 Chenzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,641 in Medellin, $726 in Chenzhou – roughly 126% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,089 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 330% less in Chenzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $803 per month in Medellin and $328 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 $726, than in Medellin at $1,641. 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 $726 in Chenzhou to $1,641 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.