Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chuzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chuzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Medellin vs $684 in Chuzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,596 per month in Medellin vs $1,105 in Chuzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,178 per month in Medellin vs $1,526 in Chuzhou, rent included.

Medellin costs about 48% more than Chuzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Chuzhou are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 25% lower, Chuzhou 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.3K

$2.15 ¥14.66

175.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 119.5K

$20.65 ¥141

60.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 26.1K

$4.98 ¥33.99

45.58%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,176

$2.14 ¥14.62

-20.09%

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

$1.09 COP 3,940

$0.45 ¥3.07

142.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,760

$0.24 ¥1.64

220.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,294

$0.44 ¥2.98

297.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.5K

$1.41 ¥9.66

125.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,816

$1.36 ¥9.29

-22.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,687

$2.17 ¥14.83

-40.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,958

$0.82 ¥5.63

68.29%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,958

$1.53 ¥10.42

44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.3K

$9.10 ¥62.1

-50.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$2.86 ¥19.52

102.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.3K

$9.23 ¥63.1

-2.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,235

$2.12 ¥14.46

8.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,815

$1.36 ¥9.28

-22.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,446

$1.59 ¥10.87

-5.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,900

$1.20 ¥8.22

13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,172

$0.92 ¥6.29

26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,201

$0.97 ¥6.65

20.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,979

$0.86 ¥5.89

-3.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,063

$0.56 ¥3.85

51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,477

$3.55 ¥24.24

-33.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.9K

$14.79 ¥101

-25.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,159

$0.88 ¥5.99

30.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,910

$1.50 ¥10.27

64.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,845

$0.27 ¥1.82

192.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 150.7K

$16.63 ¥114

151.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,173

$1.51 ¥10.35

-4.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,836

$0.36 ¥2.44

427.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.7K

$8.40 ¥57.4

-8.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,704

$1.13 ¥7.72

-8.85%

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

$17.7K COP 63.7M

$16.7K ¥114.4K

5.58%

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

$27.0K COP 97.3M

$14.7K ¥100.7K

83.30%

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

$81.4 COP 293.2K

$42.06 ¥287

93.58%

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

$9.42 COP 33.9K

$9.59 ¥65.5

-1.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.6K

$11.12 ¥76.0

113.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 93.2K

$41.43 ¥283

-37.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.7K

$13.73 ¥93.8

40.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.6K

$5.53 ¥37.74

-26.76%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$408 ¥2,783

-23.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.9M

$18.5K ¥126.3K

-67.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 212.0K

$42.24 ¥288

39.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 118.2K

$32.90 ¥225

-0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 361.9K

$69.0 ¥471

45.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 382.8K

$82.7 ¥565

28.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$278 ¥1,900

75.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$188 ¥1,287

96.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$583 ¥3,980

43.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$362 ¥2,469

97.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$2,713 ¥18.5K

8.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$2,152 ¥14.7K

-35.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.87

247.03%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Last update for Chuzhou: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $474 in Medellin versus $278 in Chuzhou. 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 Chuzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $197 in Chuzhou – 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 Chuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 48% more than Chuzhou, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,522 per month in Medellin and $1,026 in Chuzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chuzhou, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $21.00 in Chuzhou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,014 in Medellin and $684 in Chuzhou. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chuzhou, where all-in costs run around $684, than in Medellin at $1,014. In Chuzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chuzhou costs $684 versus $1,014 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Chuzhou. 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.