Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dongguan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dongguan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $805 in Dongguan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,260 in Dongguan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,716 in Dongguan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 113% more expensive than in Dongguan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Dongguan is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$2.17 ¥14.53

270.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$22.45 ¥150

114.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$5.17 ¥34.62

88.97%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.52 ¥16.87

15.48%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.51 ¥3.43

280.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.29 ¥1.93

424.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$0.89 ¥5.94

247.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$2.19 ¥14.70

162.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.55 ¥10.36

-12.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.68 ¥11.28

42.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$0.95 ¥6.40

78.95%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.67 ¥11.18

71.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$20.69 ¥139

-51.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$3.59 ¥24.04

200.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$14.66 ¥98.2

0.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.21 ¥14.78

85.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.59 ¥10.68

-1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.86 ¥12.44

14.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.42 ¥9.53

55.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$1.21 ¥8.12

69.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.47 ¥9.84

2.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.55 ¥3.68

116.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.54 ¥3.59

114.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.50 ¥30.14

-13.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$12.28 ¥82.3

17.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$0.91 ¥6.07

73.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$1.83 ¥12.23

54.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.38 ¥2.57

207.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$22.70 ¥152

242.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$1.21 ¥8.10

5.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.40 ¥2.69

422.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$4.59 ¥30.77

87.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.22 ¥8.19

6.56%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$19.5K ¥130.4K

42.10%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$18.2K ¥122.0K

95.03%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$63.1 ¥423

178.86%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$9.28 ¥62.2

44.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$12.74 ¥85.4

134.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$51.7 ¥347

-13.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$16.26 ¥109

4.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$7.59 ¥50.9

-18.31%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$529 ¥3,542

50.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$23.6K ¥157.9K

-61.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$31.53 ¥211

171.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$39.51 ¥265

47.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$69.1 ¥463

97.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$40.86 ¥274

152.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$374 ¥2,508

183.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$221 ¥1,479

207.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$656 ¥4,396

206.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$419 ¥2,809

178.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$5,558 ¥37.2K

-26.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$3,047 ¥20.4K

-44.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$844 ¥5,656

-21.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.4

221.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Dongguan: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $374 in Dongguan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dongguan pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Dongguan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $250 per month, with Dongguan 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 Dongguan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dongguan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Dongguan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,060 in Medellin versus $374 in Dongguan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dongguan runs roughly 242% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $529 in Dongguan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $805 in Dongguan versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongguan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dongguan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dongguan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Dongguan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.