Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guangzhou (Canton) Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guangzhou (Canton)

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $953 in Guangzhou (Canton), rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,476 in Guangzhou (Canton), rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,998 in Guangzhou (Canton), rent included.

Medellin costs about 72% more than Guangzhou (Canton), driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Guangzhou (Canton) is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.93 ¥19.65

174.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$29.41 ¥197

64.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.29 ¥35.44

78.07%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.15 ¥21.12

-6.67%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.55 ¥3.67

238.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.36 ¥2.39

305.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.46 ¥9.79

119.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.70 ¥18.08

111.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.91 ¥12.78

-24.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.11 ¥14.14

13.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.10 ¥7.37

54.55%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.48 ¥9.88

95.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$16.24 ¥109

-38.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.17 ¥34.61

92.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$12.48 ¥83.6

13.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.21 ¥14.77

80.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.18 ¥7.90

33.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.53 ¥10.28

40.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.74 ¥11.64

32.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.99 ¥6.62

102.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.17 ¥7.83

29.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.80 ¥5.38

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.69 ¥4.63

85.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.79 ¥25.38

1.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$12.40 ¥83.1

12.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.12 ¥7.50

52.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.97 ¥13.21

39.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.47 ¥3.16

165.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$20.68 ¥139

276.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.76 ¥11.76

-25.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.39 ¥2.61

456.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$7.01 ¥46.93

18.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.33 ¥8.94

2.26%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$19.1K ¥127.9K

43.83%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$18.8K ¥125.7K

94.68%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$63.1 ¥423

167.26%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$16.73 ¥112

-18.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$14.51 ¥97.2

95.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$64.7 ¥433

-29.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$12.43 ¥83.3

38.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.95 ¥46.53

-4.32%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$1,696 ¥11.4K

-52.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$26.7K ¥178.6K

-65.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$49.01 ¥328

78.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$38.12 ¥255

55.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$81.4 ¥545

70.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$75.2 ¥503

35.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$528 ¥3,536

102.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$282 ¥1,889

131.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,346 ¥9,014

43.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$482 ¥3,226

117.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$8,542 ¥57.2K

-51.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$3,357 ¥22.5K

-49.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,262 ¥8,451

-48.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.36

225.60%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Guangzhou (Canton): September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $528 in Guangzhou (Canton). Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 93% higher in Guangzhou (Canton), which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $29.00 in Guangzhou (Canton). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $247 – making Guangzhou (Canton) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Guangzhou (Canton): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,641 in Medellin, $953 in Guangzhou (Canton) – roughly 72% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,430 in Guangzhou (Canton). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guangzhou (Canton), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $953 in Guangzhou (Canton). The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 277% less in Guangzhou (Canton). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Guangzhou (Canton), where all-in costs run around $953, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Guangzhou (Canton) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $953 in Guangzhou (Canton) to $1,641 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Guangzhou (Canton). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.