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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,003 per month in Medellin vs $682 in Chuzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,573 per month in Medellin vs $1,093 in Chuzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,143 per month in Medellin vs $1,503 in Chuzhou, rent included.

Medellin costs about 47% 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

$5.91 COP 18.9K

$2.08 ¥14.03

184.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 105.2K

$21.31 ¥144

54.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.7K

$4.97 ¥33.56

49.50%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,276

$2.07 ¥14.00

-20.29%

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

$1.10 COP 3,514

$0.41 ¥2.78

168.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,491

$0.26 ¥1.77

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,484

$0.44 ¥2.94

290.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.1K

$1.40 ¥9.48

127.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,521

$1.43 ¥9.63

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,015

$2.16 ¥14.59

-41.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,407

$0.76 ¥5.12

81.58%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,950

$1.53 ¥10.32

42.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.3K

$9.32 ¥62.9

-51.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.5K

$2.85 ¥19.23

103.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.6K

$9.00 ¥60.8

-0.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,405

$2.23 ¥15.07

4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,397

$1.38 ¥9.35

-23.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,838

$1.64 ¥11.09

-7.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,327

$1.20 ¥8.12

13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,599

$0.93 ¥6.30

21.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,738

$0.93 ¥6.25

25.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,876

$0.81 ¥5.45

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,861

$0.57 ¥3.87

57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,128

$3.58 ¥24.18

-37.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.7K

$13.04 ¥88.1

-7.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,793

$0.92 ¥6.22

29.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,920

$1.56 ¥10.57

58.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,723

$0.27 ¥1.82

214.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 132.8K

$16.61 ¥112

150.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,518

$1.56 ¥10.56

-8.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,223

$0.38 ¥2.60

413.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.2K

$8.50 ¥57.5

-7.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,160

$1.12 ¥7.59

-11.61%

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

$17.6K COP 56.2M

$17.3K ¥117.2K

1.47%

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

$26.8K COP 85.5M

$14.3K ¥96.8K

86.91%

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

$83.0 COP 264.9K

$42.54 ¥287

95.13%

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

$9.70 COP 30.9K

$9.49 ¥64.1

2.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 75.0K

$11.10 ¥75.0

111.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 80.6K

$41.62 ¥281

-39.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.9K

$13.78 ¥93.1

38.61%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.6K

$5.49 ¥37.11

-28.05%

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

$316 COP 1.0M

$409 ¥2,763

-22.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.1M

$18.5K ¥125.2K

-67.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.4K

$43.02 ¥291

39.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 101.5K

$33.37 ¥225

-4.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 324.4K

$68.2 ¥461

49.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 342.8K

$83.0 ¥561

29.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$284 ¥1,916

67.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$189 ¥1,275

98.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$593 ¥4,003

43.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$355 ¥2,400

102.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.4M

$3,061 ¥20.7K

6.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.6M

$1,709 ¥11.5K

-15.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chuzhou: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $475 in Medellin versus $284 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $21.00 in Chuzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Medellin vs $195 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 47% 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 $1,504 per month in Medellin and $1,022 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 $1,003 in Medellin and $682 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 $682, than in Medellin at $1,003. 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 $682 versus $1,003 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.