Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Datong Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Datong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Medellin versus $711 in Datong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Medellin versus $1,127 in Datong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Medellin versus $1,543 in Datong.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.1K

$2.84 ¥19.43

116.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.0K

$21.16 ¥145

56.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$4.96 ¥33.90

47.58%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,973

$3.03 ¥20.70

-45.21%

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

$1.10 COP 3,978

$0.43 ¥2.94

155.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,816

$0.29 ¥2.00

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,174

$0.94 ¥6.43

81.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.4K

$2.14 ¥14.61

48.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,003

$1.87 ¥12.78

-40.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,709

$1.55 ¥10.59

-15.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,969

$0.89 ¥6.05

55.06%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 7,992

$1.55 ¥10.62

43.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.6K

$12.63 ¥86.2

-65.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$3.21 ¥21.93

80.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.3K

$10.36 ¥70.8

-13.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,146

$1.83 ¥12.48

23.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,014

$1.24 ¥8.47

-10.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,273

$1.49 ¥10.17

-2.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,918

$1.10 ¥7.52

24.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,000

$0.75 ¥5.09

48.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,190

$0.97 ¥6.66

19.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,204

$0.56 ¥3.85

58.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,117

$0.56 ¥3.79

55.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,476

$3.19 ¥21.81

-26.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.1K

$10.61 ¥72.5

2.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,321

$0.79 ¥5.37

51.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,927

$1.66 ¥11.36

49.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,836

$0.29 ¥2.00

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 146.8K

$16.40 ¥112

148.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,125

$1.41 ¥9.62

0.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,885

$0.33 ¥2.25

478.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$6.81 ¥46.52

12.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,482

$1.16 ¥7.94

-16.38%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$19.4K ¥132.5K

-6.72%

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

$26.3K COP 94.8M

$17.1K ¥117.0K

53.58%

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

$81.3 COP 292.9K

$44.59 ¥305

82.35%

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

$9.63 COP 34.7K

$10.02 ¥68.4

-3.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 87.8K

$11.84 ¥80.8

105.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.7K

$41.02 ¥280

-36.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.1K

$13.79 ¥94.2

37.20%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$6.07 ¥41.46

-35.91%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$334 ¥2,280

-8.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$16.8K ¥114.7K

-64.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.4K

$43.51 ¥297

34.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.0K

$30.40 ¥208

6.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 366.5K

$71.1 ¥486

43.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$71.7 ¥490

50.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$273 ¥1,867

73.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$191 ¥1,304

94.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$589 ¥4,020

44.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$364 ¥2,483

97.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.3M

$2,997 ¥20.5K

-4.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

$2,036 ¥13.9K

-32.44%

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 Datong: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Medellin and $273 in Datong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $21 in Datong. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $199, 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 Datong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $1,522 in Medellin and $1,067 in Datong 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 $273 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Medellin versus $334 in Datong. 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 $711 in Datong versus $1,014 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Datong but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Datong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Datong delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $711 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Datong hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Datong 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.