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: $1,018 in Medellin versus $706 in Datong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Medellin versus $1,134 in Datong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Medellin versus $1,562 in Datong.

Living in Medellin is roughly 44% more expensive than in Datong, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.0K

$2.75 ¥18.63

115.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.0K

$21.95 ¥149

50.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.8K

$4.97 ¥33.66

43.26%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,458

$3.04 ¥20.55

-43.75%

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

$1.05 COP 3,356

$0.46 ¥3.13

128.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,311

$0.29 ¥1.98

148.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,502

$0.94 ¥6.36

82.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.05 ¥13.90

54.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,408

$1.80 ¥12.18

-41.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,192

$1.54 ¥10.42

-14.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,256

$0.95 ¥6.42

40.00%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,298

$1.62 ¥10.93

40.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.1K

$12.70 ¥85.9

-65.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 18.9K

$3.27 ¥22.11

81.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.7K

$10.14 ¥68.6

-14.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,504

$1.89 ¥12.82

23.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,527

$1.22 ¥8.22

-9.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,698

$1.49 ¥10.11

-1.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,415

$1.09 ¥7.39

26.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,754

$0.69 ¥4.66

69.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,744

$0.95 ¥6.45

23.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,890

$0.56 ¥3.81

60.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,693

$0.55 ¥3.71

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,449

$3.10 ¥20.98

-24.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.1K

$10.41 ¥70.5

14.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,673

$0.78 ¥5.29

47.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,749

$1.60 ¥10.83

51.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,687

$0.27 ¥1.83

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

$16.38 ¥111

149.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,517

$1.40 ¥9.48

0.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,127

$0.33 ¥2.22

478.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.0K

$6.67 ¥45.12

17.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,020

$1.12 ¥7.59

-16.07%

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

$17.8K COP 57.0M

$19.5K ¥131.6K

-8.41%

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

$27.1K COP 86.7M

$17.4K ¥117.7K

55.68%

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

$83.3 COP 266.5K

$44.84 ¥303

85.68%

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

$9.66 COP 30.9K

$9.82 ¥66.5

-1.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.5K

$11.92 ¥80.7

103.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 80.7K

$42.43 ¥287

-40.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 61.9K

$13.90 ¥94.1

39.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$5.99 ¥40.55

-32.05%

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

$307 COP 981.2K

$339 ¥2,292

-9.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.1M

$16.8K ¥113.8K

-64.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.9K

$44.62 ¥302

34.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.5K

$29.95 ¥203

9.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 323.5K

$72.2 ¥488

40.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 345.7K

$73.0 ¥494

48.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$277 ¥1,875

71.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$193 ¥1,308

95.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$597 ¥4,041

36.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$360 ¥2,437

96.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

$3,067 ¥20.8K

3.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

$2,007 ¥13.6K

-27.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Datong: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Datong. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $197, 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 44% 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 $1,527 in Medellin and $1,059 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: $476 in Medellin versus $277 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $307 in Medellin versus $339 in Datong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $706 in Datong versus $1,018 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 $706 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 44% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.