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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $718 in Datong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,141 in Datong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,564 in Datong.

Living in Medellin is roughly 41% more expensive than Datong, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Datong 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$2.84 ¥19.25

110.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.9K

$21.18 ¥144

55.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$4.73 ¥32.08

49.89%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,146

$2.97 ¥20.13

-42.42%

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

$1.10 COP 3,944

$0.46 ¥3.13

139.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,795

$0.29 ¥1.98

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,028

$0.88 ¥5.96

90.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.07 ¥14.01

48.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,925

$1.86 ¥12.60

-41.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,530

$1.54 ¥10.44

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,947

$0.89 ¥6.02

55.06%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,867

$1.53 ¥10.39

43.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$12.70 ¥86.1

-65.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$3.10 ¥21.03

81.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.9K

$10.35 ¥70.2

-14.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,391

$1.86 ¥12.59

25.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,796

$1.26 ¥8.56

-15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,401

$1.48 ¥10.06

1.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,949

$1.10 ¥7.45

25.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,132

$0.70 ¥4.75

64.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,176

$0.95 ¥6.42

22.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,198

$0.61 ¥4.12

45.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,012

$0.51 ¥3.45

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,186

$3.09 ¥20.94

-26.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$10.74 ¥72.9

-0.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,305

$0.76 ¥5.14

57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,869

$1.61 ¥10.90

53.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,072

$0.29 ¥1.97

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.6K

$16.99 ¥115

143.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,290

$1.35 ¥9.18

8.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,045

$0.35 ¥2.38

460.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$6.54 ¥44.39

18.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,426

$1.18 ¥8.00

-19.49%

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

$18.1K COP 65.1M

$19.4K ¥131.4K

-6.44%

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

$26.5K COP 95.1M

$16.9K ¥114.8K

56.55%

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

$82.3 COP 295.2K

$45.90 ¥311

79.19%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$9.91 ¥67.2

-4.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.0K

$11.87 ¥80.5

104.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.9K

$41.85 ¥284

-38.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.2K

$13.71 ¥93.0

38.58%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$6.09 ¥41.27

-35.47%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$328 ¥2,223

-5.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$16.9K ¥114.4K

-64.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.5K

$44.31 ¥301

32.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.1K

$30.17 ¥205

7.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.2K

$72.2 ¥490

42.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.2K

$71.2 ¥483

52.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$281 ¥1,907

69.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$196 ¥1,332

92.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$593 ¥4,025

41.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$359 ¥2,437

101.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$3,073 ¥20.8K

-9.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$2,047 ¥13.9K

-40.82%

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 Datong: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $281 in Datong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $21.00 in Datong. 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 Datong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Datong wins on cost – living expenses run 41% 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 $1,519 in Medellin and $1,077 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 $281 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $328 in Datong. 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 $718 in Datong versus $1,013 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 $718 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 41% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.