Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dongying Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dongying

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $704 in Dongying.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,142 in Dongying.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $1,581 in Dongying.

Living in Medellin is roughly 46% more expensive than Dongying, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Dongying 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$2.72 ¥18.35

120.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$21.63 ¥146

51.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$4.95 ¥33.43

49.90%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$3.10 ¥20.93

-46.77%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$0.43 ¥2.90

148.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.29 ¥1.98

162.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$0.93 ¥6.29

84.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.03 ¥13.75

57.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$1.88 ¥12.70

-44.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$1.60 ¥10.84

-18.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$0.96 ¥6.48

39.58%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$1.61 ¥10.85

36.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$12.79 ¥86.4

-65.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$3.23 ¥21.85

76.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$10.39 ¥70.2

-18.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$1.86 ¥12.56

25.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$1.26 ¥8.51

-11.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$1.54 ¥10.40

-1.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$1.15 ¥7.76

19.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$0.69 ¥4.67

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$0.96 ¥6.49

22.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$0.60 ¥4.03

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.52 ¥3.49

65.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$3.09 ¥20.89

-26.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$10.60 ¥71.6

9.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$0.75 ¥5.05

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$1.57 ¥10.62

57.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$0.29 ¥1.96

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

$16.50 ¥111

147.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$1.42 ¥9.59

3.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$0.35 ¥2.38

448.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$6.78 ¥45.77

14.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$1.18 ¥7.97

-14.41%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$19.1K ¥129.0K

-7.55%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$17.2K ¥116.0K

54.13%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$45.06 ¥304

79.98%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$9.88 ¥66.8

-4.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$11.51 ¥77.8

107.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$42.40 ¥286

-38.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$13.98 ¥94.5

33.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$5.78 ¥39.05

-29.24%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$332 ¥2,242

-5.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$16.6K ¥112.4K

-63.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$43.71 ¥295

36.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$30.85 ¥208

3.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$71.0 ¥480

42.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$70.9 ¥479

48.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$283 ¥1,913

71.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$190 ¥1,286

91.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$601 ¥4,058

37.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$367 ¥2,482

98.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$3,072 ¥20.8K

-2.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$2,004 ¥13.5K

-34.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Dongying: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $283 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 $200, 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 Dongying: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dongying is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,542 in Medellin and $1,056 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $485 in Medellin versus $283 in Dongying. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $332 in Dongying. 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 $704 in Dongying versus $1,028 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.

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.

Expats usually find Dongying gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.