Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cixi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cixi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Medellin versus $708 in Cixi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Medellin versus $1,144 in Cixi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Medellin versus $1,580 in Cixi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 43% more expensive than Cixi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Cixi 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.2K

$2.77 ¥18.93

121.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.3K

$21.67 ¥148

52.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$4.80 ¥32.77

52.50%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,987

$3.00 ¥20.50

-44.67%

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

$1.10 COP 3,987

$0.44 ¥2.99

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,822

$0.29 ¥1.99

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,188

$0.94 ¥6.44

81.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.5K

$2.11 ¥14.40

50.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,012

$1.79 ¥12.26

-37.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,719

$1.53 ¥10.48

-14.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,980

$0.89 ¥6.08

55.06%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 8,009

$1.55 ¥10.58

43.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.7K

$13.02 ¥88.9

-66.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$3.09 ¥21.14

87.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.4K

$10.32 ¥70.5

-12.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,164

$1.86 ¥12.73

21.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,023

$1.24 ¥8.47

-10.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,284

$1.48 ¥10.14

-1.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,929

$1.14 ¥7.82

20.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,009

$0.70 ¥4.75

58.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,199

$0.97 ¥6.59

19.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,211

$0.60 ¥4.09

48.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,124

$0.54 ¥3.70

61.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,495

$3.14 ¥21.45

-25.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.2K

$10.58 ¥72.3

2.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,330

$0.80 ¥5.46

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,946

$1.59 ¥10.85

55.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,842

$0.27 ¥1.82

192.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 147.2K

$16.49 ¥113

147.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,137

$1.42 ¥9.70

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,900

$0.35 ¥2.42

445.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$6.70 ¥45.73

14.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,490

$1.18 ¥8.04

-17.80%

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

$18.1K COP 65.3M

$19.2K ¥131.1K

-5.70%

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

$26.3K COP 95.0M

$17.3K ¥118.1K

52.11%

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

$81.3 COP 293.5K

$44.62 ¥305

82.23%

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

$9.63 COP 34.8K

$10.05 ¥68.7

-4.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 88.0K

$11.74 ¥80.2

107.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.9K

$41.66 ¥285

-37.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.3K

$14.14 ¥96.6

33.80%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$5.76 ¥39.31

-32.47%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$340 ¥2,322

-10.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$16.5K ¥112.6K

-64.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.8K

$44.48 ¥304

31.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.2K

$29.95 ¥205

8.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 367.3K

$71.6 ¥489

42.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 390.4K

$71.9 ¥491

50.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$279 ¥1,905

70.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$196 ¥1,340

88.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$591 ¥4,036

43.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$353 ¥2,412

102.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.4M

$3,062 ¥20.9K

-6.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

$2,021 ¥13.8K

-31.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.89

245.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Last update for Cixi: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Medellin and $279 in Cixi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $22 in Cixi. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $198, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cixi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cixi wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cixi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,522 in Medellin and $1,062 in Cixi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $474 in Medellin versus $279 in Cixi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Medellin versus $340 in Cixi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $708 in Cixi versus $1,014 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cixi but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cixi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cixi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $708 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cixi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Cixi 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 Cixi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.