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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $708 in Datong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,132 in Datong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,556 in Datong.

Living in Medellin is roughly 137% more expensive than in Datong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Datong is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.5K

$2.71 ¥18.14

195.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$21.85 ¥146

119.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$4.88 ¥32.66

102.66%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,941

$3.09 ¥20.64

1.29%

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

$1.91 COP 6,061

$0.44 ¥2.91

334.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,796

$0.29 ¥1.96

420.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,921

$0.93 ¥6.21

235.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$2.15 ¥14.37

167.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,590

$1.85 ¥12.35

-22.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,898

$1.55 ¥10.35

60.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,634

$0.97 ¥6.50

82.47%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,400

$1.60 ¥10.67

85.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$12.86 ¥86.0

-21.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$3.15 ¥21.05

221.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$10.23 ¥68.4

39.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$1.86 ¥12.47

122.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,109

$1.22 ¥8.13

31.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,132

$1.49 ¥9.95

51.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,154

$1.11 ¥7.40

102.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,489

$0.70 ¥4.71

191.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,876

$0.89 ¥5.97

73.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,716

$0.60 ¥4.01

95.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,150

$0.56 ¥3.72

133.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$3.19 ¥21.30

22.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$10.37 ¥69.3

35.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,536

$0.74 ¥4.93

135.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,116

$1.65 ¥11.03

73.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,860

$0.27 ¥1.79

351.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.6K

$16.76 ¥112

380.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,157

$1.35 ¥9.03

-2.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,947

$0.35 ¥2.37

525.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$6.81 ¥45.56

27.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,336

$1.13 ¥7.58

21.24%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$19.1K ¥127.5K

45.97%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$17.4K ¥116.5K

105.29%

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

$177 COP 563.1K

$44.57 ¥298

297.80%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$9.85 ¥65.9

40.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$11.95 ¥79.9

148.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.6K

$41.40 ¥277

8.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$13.65 ¥91.3

25.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$5.91 ¥39.51

12.52%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$328 ¥2,192

148.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$16.7K ¥111.9K

-45.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.3K

$43.16 ¥289

107.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.3K

$30.67 ¥205

92.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 439.0K

$73.2 ¥489

88.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.4K

$72.2 ¥483

41.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$282 ¥1,887

276.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$191 ¥1,277

247.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$598 ¥3,997

215.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$355 ¥2,376

189.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$2,973 ¥19.9K

40.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,998 ¥13.4K

-16.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.89

181.23%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Datong: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $282 in Datong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Datong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $198 per month, with Datong cheaper across the board.

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 137% 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 $2,521 in Medellin and $1,062 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $282 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $328 in Datong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $708 in Datong versus $1,681 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 $708 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 137% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.