Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cheonan

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheonan: $1,467 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Cheonan
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Cheonan Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Cheonan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,467

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cheonan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Cheonan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,467 in Cheonan, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Cheonan $1,467

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,259 in Cheonan, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Cheonan $2,259

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,051 in Cheonan, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Cheonan $3,051

Medellin costs about 10% more than Cheonan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Cheonan sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Cheonan by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$7.53 ₩10.0K

5.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$22.63 ₩30.1K

103.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.28 ₩5,693

121.96%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$1.47 ₩1,951

111.56%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.16 ₩1,538

57.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.40 ₩1,867

-1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$2.28 ₩3,031

33.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$4.40 ₩5,853

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.60 ₩2,125

-9.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$3.22 ₩4,287

-26.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$3.07 ₩4,078

-45.28%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.61 ₩3,476

9.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$11.19 ₩14.9K

-8.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$10.38 ₩13.8K

-8.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$25.11 ₩33.4K

-44.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$11.23 ₩14.9K

-63.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$3.73 ₩4,965

-59.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$8.07 ₩10.7K

-73.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$6.04 ₩8,035

-61.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$6.10 ₩8,106

-68.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$3.34 ₩4,438

-50.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.75 ₩3,651

-58.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.33 ₩1,765

-6.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.38 ₩4,494

18.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$18.30 ₩24.3K

-27.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.43 ₩3,229

-30.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.35 ₩4,454

-29.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$1.14 ₩1,509

6.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$3.05 ₩4,050

-56.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.78 ₩1,036

174.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$16.69 ₩22.2K

-49.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.24 ₩1,650

4.84%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$29.7K ₩39.5M

-5.90%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$34.2K ₩45.5M

3.52%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$199 ₩264.9K

-13.61%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$35.67 ₩47.4K

-62.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$27.08 ₩36.0K

6.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$51.6 ₩68.6K

-12.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$11.77 ₩15.6K

44.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$12.13 ₩16.1K

-48.23%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$636 ₩845.7K

21.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$21.5K ₩28.6M

-58.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$66.2 ₩88.0K

30.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$59.5 ₩79.1K

-3.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$92.6 ₩123.1K

47.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$127 ₩168.9K

-22.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$478 ₩636.1K

120.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$361 ₩479.5K

70.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,153 ₩1.5M

64.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$739 ₩982.3K

38.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$7,244 ₩9.6M

-43.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$5,422 ₩7.2M

-69.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$1,824 ₩2.4M

-64.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.22

159.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cheonan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Cheonan

$361 24.6% 41.4% $255

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Cheonan

$480 32.8% 62.9% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Cheonan

$262 17.9% 22.3% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Cheonan

$155 10.6% 8.6% $15

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Cheonan

$121 8.3% 28.1% $47

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Cheonan

$11 * 0.8% 87.7% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Cheonan

$76 5.2% 31.2% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $478 in Cheonan. 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 180% higher in Cheonan, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $23.00 in Cheonan. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $480 in Cheonan – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇷 Cheonan

🕒 Local time

14:24 2:24 PM

04:24 4:24 AM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

658,486

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Cheonan 14,670 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Cheonan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Cheonan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 10% more than Cheonan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,200 in Cheonan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,467 in Cheonan. That's a gap of about 10%.

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $636 in Cheonan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cheonan, where all-in costs run around $1,467, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Cheonan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cheonan costs $1,467 versus $1,614 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cheonan. 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.