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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $714 in Cixi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,133 in Cixi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,552 in Cixi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 42% more expensive than Cixi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Cixi 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$2.76 ¥18.73

117.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$21.69 ¥147

51.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$4.94 ¥33.45

43.52%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$3.06 ¥20.73

-44.12%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.43 ¥2.94

155.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.29 ¥1.99

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$0.95 ¥6.41

76.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.14 ¥14.50

43.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$1.81 ¥12.26

-39.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$1.55 ¥10.50

-18.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$0.90 ¥6.10

53.33%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$1.60 ¥10.87

36.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$12.81 ¥86.8

-65.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$3.23 ¥21.88

74.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$10.28 ¥69.6

-13.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$1.80 ¥12.17

30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.20 ¥8.14

-11.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.50 ¥10.15

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$1.09 ¥7.38

26.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$0.74 ¥5.03

55.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$0.92 ¥6.21

26.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.56 ¥3.81

58.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.52 ¥3.52

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$3.07 ¥20.80

-25.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$10.67 ¥72.3

-0.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$0.79 ¥5.33

51.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$1.58 ¥10.68

56.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.29 ¥1.99

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$16.39 ¥111

152.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$1.40 ¥9.49

5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.33 ¥2.22

493.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$6.65 ¥45.05

16.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.14 ¥7.71

-16.67%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$19.6K ¥132.6K

-7.42%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$16.9K ¥114.8K

56.30%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$45.30 ¥307

81.57%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$9.59 ¥65.0

-0.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$11.86 ¥80.3

104.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$41.86 ¥284

-38.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$13.97 ¥94.6

36.01%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.87 ¥39.74

-33.05%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$334 ¥2,262

-7.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$16.7K ¥112.8K

-64.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$44.52 ¥302

31.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$30.97 ¥210

4.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$71.8 ¥486

42.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$70.9 ¥480

52.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$277 ¥1,878

71.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$191 ¥1,292

98.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$599 ¥4,057

39.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$359 ¥2,432

101.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$3,032 ¥20.5K

-7.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$2,000 ¥13.5K

-39.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cixi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $277 in Cixi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Cixi. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 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 42% 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 $1,519 in Medellin and $1,071 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: $476 in Medellin versus $277 in Cixi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $334 in Cixi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $714 in Cixi versus $1,013 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 $714 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 42% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.