😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $712 in Dongying.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,118 in Dongying.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,525 in Dongying.
😐Living in Medellin is roughly 45% more expensive than Dongying, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin23% lower, Dongying47% lower.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Dongying
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.92COP 21.4K
$2.75¥18.87
115.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.75COP 118.2K
$21.78¥149
50.37%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.20COP 26.0K
$5.01¥34.35
43.71%
Cappuccino
$1.70COP 6,140
$2.93¥20.08
-41.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10COP 3,966
$0.46¥3.18
139.13%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72COP 2,605
$0.27¥1.85
166.67%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.67COP 6,022
$0.95¥6.53
75.79%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10COP 11.2K
$2.05¥14.04
51.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Dongying
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$1.06COP 3,809
$1.88¥12.88
-43.62%
White Bread(500g)
$1.25COP 4,497
$1.56¥10.67
-19.87%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.39COP 5,022
$0.96¥6.58
44.79%
Eggs
$2.26COP 8,168
$1.55¥10.62
45.81%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.33COP 15.6K
$13.04¥89.3
-66.79%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.84COP 21.1K
$3.25¥22.26
79.69%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.83COP 31.9K
$10.11¥69.3
-12.66%
Apples(1kg)
$2.24COP 8,099
$1.81¥12.37
23.76%
Banana(1kg)
$1.08COP 3,882
$1.20¥8.22
-10.00%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.53COP 5,522
$1.53¥10.46
-
Tomato(1kg)
$1.37COP 4,950
$1.14¥7.81
20.18%
Potato(1kg)
$1.13COP 4,078
$0.74¥5.04
52.70%
Onion(1kg)
$1.12COP 4,036
$0.95¥6.50
17.89%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.85COP 3,057
$0.56¥3.85
51.79%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91COP 3,281
$0.51¥3.50
78.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.33COP 8,414
$3.18¥21.79
-26.73%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.13COP 40.2K
$10.41¥71.3
6.92%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19COP 4,309
$0.76¥5.19
56.58%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37COP 8,553
$1.64¥11.26
44.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Dongying
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.79COP 2,838
$0.27¥1.83
192.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$41.13COP 148.5K
$16.42¥112
150.49%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.44COP 5,184
$1.43¥9.79
0.70%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.91COP 6,901
$0.35¥2.43
445.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.02COP 28.9K
$6.77¥46.41
18.46%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.94COP 3,385
$1.13¥7.72
-16.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.9KCOP 64.7M
$19.5K¥133.8K
-8.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8KCOP 96.7M
$17.1K¥117.4K
56.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Dongying
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$84.0COP 303.1K
$45.29¥310
85.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.60COP 34.7K
$9.97¥68.3
-3.71%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.16COP 87.2K
$11.55¥79.1
109.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Dongying
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$25.88COP 93.4K
$42.33¥290
-38.86%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.04COP 68.7K
$13.79¥94.5
38.07%
Cinema Ticket
$3.92COP 14.1K
$5.82¥39.84
-32.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Dongying
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$306COP 1.1M
$336¥2,303
-8.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,919COP 21.4M
$16.6K¥113.4K
-64.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Dongying
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.9COP 209.1K
$44.25¥303
30.87%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.82COP 114.9K
$30.93¥212
2.88%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$99.9COP 360.6K
$70.9¥486
40.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107COP 386.8K
$70.6¥484
51.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Dongying
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$487COP 1.8M
$277¥1,898
75.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$368COP 1.3M
$195¥1,339
88.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$826COP 3.0M
$582¥3,987
41.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$716COP 2.6M
$362¥2,480
97.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,925COP 10.6M
$3,016¥20.7K
-3.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,407COP 5.1M
$2,060¥14.1K
-31.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Dongying
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$546COP 2.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
13.43
3.89
245.24%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Medellin: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para Dongying: April 26, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $277 in Dongying. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Dongying. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $199, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Medellin vs Dongying: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Is Dongying cheaper than Medellin?
Dongying is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $1,067 in Dongying 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.
What is the rent difference between Medellin and Dongying?
Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $277 in Dongying. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $336 in Dongying. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and Dongying?
Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Medellin or Dongying?
At $712 in Dongying versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongying but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dongying the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Medellin or Dongying more family-friendly?
For families, Dongying 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dongying gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Medellin vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado