Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Foshan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Foshan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $753 in Foshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,220 in Foshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,687 in Foshan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 35% more expensive than Foshan, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Foshan 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.22 ¥21.80

86.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$22.60 ¥153

45.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$4.99 ¥33.76

42.08%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$3.16 ¥21.42

-45.89%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.46 ¥3.10

139.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.28 ¥1.87

178.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.09 ¥7.38

54.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$1.65 ¥11.19

86.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.79 ¥12.14

-39.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.96 ¥13.24

-35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$1.22 ¥8.28

13.11%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.87 ¥12.66

17.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$13.00 ¥88.0

-66.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.86 ¥26.13

45.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$13.38 ¥90.6

-33.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.81 ¥12.25

29.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$1.27 ¥8.57

-16.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.73 ¥11.70

-13.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$1.40 ¥9.48

-1.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$1.00 ¥6.79

15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$1.05 ¥7.08

10.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.70 ¥4.71

27.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.61 ¥4.11

37.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$3.55 ¥24.06

-35.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$10.24 ¥69.3

3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$0.96 ¥6.51

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.40 ¥9.48

76.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.27 ¥1.81

218.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$11.02 ¥74.6

275.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.71 ¥11.58

-14.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.35 ¥2.35

460.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$6.93 ¥46.91

11.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.17 ¥7.92

-18.80%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$21.3K ¥144.1K

-14.85%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$19.6K ¥132.4K

35.45%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$65.1 ¥441

26.29%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$10.20 ¥69.1

-6.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$12.90 ¥87.3

87.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$66.9 ¥453

-61.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$20.34 ¥138

-6.59%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.22 ¥42.10

-36.82%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$415 ¥2,809

-25.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$18.2K ¥123.2K

-67.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$42.80 ¥290

37.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$28.67 ¥194

12.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$70.5 ¥477

45.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$77.9 ¥527

39.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$280 ¥1,894

70.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$142 ¥958

167.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$580 ¥3,927

44.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$313 ¥2,119

131.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$4,353 ¥29.5K

-35.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,819 ¥12.3K

-33.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$793 ¥5,367

-35.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.04

232.43%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Foshan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $280 in Foshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Foshan pays 55% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $23.00 in Foshan. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $222, 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 Foshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foshan is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Foshan earns 55% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $280 in Foshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Foshan runs roughly 276% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $415 in Foshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $753 in Foshan versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foshan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Foshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Foshan 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 Foshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.