Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fuzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fuzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $788 in Fuzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,245 in Fuzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $1,702 in Fuzhou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 30% more expensive than in Fuzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Fuzhou 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$2.71 ¥18.34

121.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$22.57 ¥153

45.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$5.36 ¥36.30

38.43%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$2.74 ¥18.55

-39.78%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$0.41 ¥2.76

160.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.25 ¥1.68

204.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$0.88 ¥5.95

95.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$1.71 ¥11.60

87.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$1.81 ¥12.26

-41.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$1.29 ¥8.73

1.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$0.76 ¥5.16

76.32%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$1.33 ¥9.02

64.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$11.62 ¥78.7

-62.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$4.95 ¥33.49

14.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$13.31 ¥90.1

-35.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$2.26 ¥15.29

3.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.33 ¥8.99

-16.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$1.87 ¥12.69

-18.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$1.19 ¥8.08

15.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$0.64 ¥4.30

79.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$1.05 ¥7.10

12.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$0.57 ¥3.87

47.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$0.51 ¥3.44

68.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$2.77 ¥18.72

-18.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$11.24 ¥76.1

3.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$0.75 ¥5.09

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$0.93 ¥6.28

166.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$0.27 ¥1.81

192.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$42.54 ¥288

-4.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$1.37 ¥9.27

7.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$0.26 ¥1.74

638.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$6.64 ¥44.94

17.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$1.18 ¥7.97

-14.41%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$20.9K ¥141.2K

-15.38%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$17.8K ¥120.3K

48.82%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$38.94 ¥264

108.27%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$9.92 ¥67.1

-4.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$7.27 ¥49.23

228.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$44.74 ¥303

-41.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$13.99 ¥94.7

33.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$7.13 ¥48.26

-42.64%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$223 ¥1,507

41.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$9,223 ¥62.4K

-34.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$54.0 ¥365

10.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$26.98 ¥183

18.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$83.3 ¥564

21.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$87.0 ¥589

20.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$342 ¥2,317

41.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$224 ¥1,515

63.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$834 ¥5,645

-0.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$419 ¥2,834

74.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$4,620 ¥31.3K

-35.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$2,336 ¥15.8K

-43.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$985 ¥6,667

-44.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.56

277.25%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Fuzhou: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $342 in Fuzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fuzhou pays 79% 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 Fuzhou. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $212, 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 Fuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fuzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Fuzhou. 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: $485 in Medellin versus $342 in Fuzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Fuzhou – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,028 per month in Medellin versus $788 in Fuzhou – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $788 in Fuzhou versus $1,028 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fuzhou but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Fuzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fuzhou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $788 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fuzhou hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Fuzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.