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: $1,716 in Medellin versus $772 in Foshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,233 in Foshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,693 in Foshan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 122% more expensive than in Foshan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Foshan is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$3.64 ¥24.40

120.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$22.46 ¥151

114.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$5.15 ¥34.54

89.71%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.95 ¥19.77

-1.36%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.48 ¥3.24

304.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.31 ¥2.10

390.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$1.05 ¥7.05

194.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$1.52 ¥10.23

277.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.65 ¥11.08

-17.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.12 ¥7.49

113.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$0.93 ¥6.21

82.80%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$1.75 ¥11.75

64.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$16.75 ¥112

-40.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$3.94 ¥26.46

173.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$10.35 ¥69.4

42.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$3.08 ¥20.65

32.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.26 ¥8.48

24.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.91 ¥12.79

11.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.58 ¥10.61

39.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$1.08 ¥7.25

89.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$0.94 ¥6.33

59.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$0.59 ¥3.97

101.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.54 ¥3.64

114.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.17 ¥14.53

79.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$10.38 ¥69.7

39.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$0.92 ¥6.19

71.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$1.47 ¥9.90

92.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.31 ¥2.11

277.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$10.44 ¥70.0

644.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.51 ¥10.13

-15.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.50 ¥3.36

318.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$9.18 ¥61.6

-6.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.20 ¥8.04

8.33%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$21.0K ¥141.1K

31.49%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$15.9K ¥106.9K

122.90%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$84.5 ¥567

108.47%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$7.90 ¥53.0

69.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$16.05 ¥108

86.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$70.5 ¥473

-36.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$23.03 ¥154

-25.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$5.59 ¥37.51

10.91%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$451 ¥3,026

75.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$23.4K ¥156.8K

-61.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$42.49 ¥285

101.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$18.57 ¥125

214.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$61.4 ¥412

122.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$93.0 ¥624

10.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$292 ¥1,959

262.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$160 ¥1,075

324.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$597 ¥4,007

236.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$339 ¥2,274

244.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$4,278 ¥28.7K

-3.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,835 ¥12.3K

-7.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$795 ¥5,332

-16.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.83

185.64%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Foshan: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $292 in Foshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Foshan pays 19% 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 Foshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $220 per month, with Foshan 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 Foshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foshan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 122% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Foshan. 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 $292 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 645% 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 $451 in Foshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $772 in Foshan versus $1,716 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 122% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.