Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cheongju Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cheongju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,192 in Cheongju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,049 in Cheongju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,905 in Cheongju.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than in Cheongju, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Cheongju is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$7.25 ₩9,721

10.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$47.69 ₩64.0K

1.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.79 ₩7,761

62.69%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.61 ₩4,836

-18.56%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.77 ₩2,368

5.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.38 ₩1,846

5.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$3.82 ₩5,126

-15.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.25 ₩5,697

34.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.06 ₩2,761

-30.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$3.18 ₩4,262

-24.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.81 ₩2,421

-6.08%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.18 ₩2,923

32.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$10.75 ₩14.4K

-6.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$10.50 ₩14.1K

-5.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$14.67 ₩19.7K

-3.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.04 ₩4,077

30.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.91 ₩3,905

-45.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$7.59 ₩10.2K

-71.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$5.83 ₩7,814

-60.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$5.90 ₩7,914

-66.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$3.41 ₩4,568

-55.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$2.74 ₩3,669

-56.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.47 ₩626

172.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.28 ₩4,401

17.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$14.65 ₩19.7K

-4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.91 ₩2,560

-10.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.28 ₩3,054

20.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.12 ₩1,509

11.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.71 ₩3,637

-51.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.72 ₩969

201.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$16.66 ₩22.3K

-50.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.31 ₩1,755

3.82%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$28.8K ₩38.7M

-4.69%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$34.1K ₩45.7M

7.27%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$198 ₩265.2K

-14.68%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$24.13 ₩32.4K

-43.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$14.98 ₩20.1K

89.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$54.9 ₩73.6K

-16.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$12.05 ₩16.2K

42.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.57 ₩10.1K

-12.15%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$631 ₩845.9K

27.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$21.7K ₩29.1M

-57.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$37.58 ₩50.4K

132.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$66.0 ₩88.5K

-10.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$93.0 ₩124.7K

49.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$113 ₩151.7K

-9.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$276 ₩370.2K

287.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$212 ₩284.8K

207.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,144 ₩1.5M

68.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$721 ₩966.7K

45.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$7,052 ₩9.5M

-41.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$5,477 ₩7.3M

-69.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$2,630 ₩3.5M

-75.09%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cheongju: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $276 in Cheongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 301% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $48.00 in Cheongju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $374 per month, with Medellin 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 Cheongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cheongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 301% lower in Cheongju. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $276 in Cheongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $631 in Cheongju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cheongju – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,192 in Cheongju versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cheongju but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cheongju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cheongju delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,192 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cheongju hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Cheongju are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cheongju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.