Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guiyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Guiyang: $716 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Guiyang
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Guiyang Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Guiyang

🇨🇳 China

$716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Guiyang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Guiyang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $716 in Guiyang, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Guiyang $716

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,134 in Guiyang, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Guiyang $1,134

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,553 in Guiyang, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Guiyang $1,553

Medellin costs about 126% more than Guiyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Guiyang is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$2.84 ¥18.97

179.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$21.82 ¥146

111.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.78 ¥31.98

98.74%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.95 ¥19.73

5.42%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.44 ¥2.92

315.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.29 ¥1.96

375.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$0.90 ¥6.01

238.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.07 ¥13.86

165.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.81 ¥12.10

-19.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.56 ¥10.43

51.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.97 ¥6.48

73.20%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.59 ¥10.65

79.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$12.62 ¥84.4

-19.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$3.28 ¥21.93

190.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$10.06 ¥67.3

39.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.82 ¥12.14

123.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.20 ¥8.00

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.49 ¥9.99

45.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.11 ¥7.39

108.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.69 ¥4.61

179.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.91 ¥6.06

80.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.56 ¥3.71

101.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.52 ¥3.48

140.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.16 ¥21.13

26.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$10.37 ¥69.3

28.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$0.81 ¥5.40

109.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.63 ¥10.90

45.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.29 ¥1.95

317.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$16.97 ¥113

350.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.35 ¥9.03

-2.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.35 ¥2.36

511.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$6.60 ¥44.10

28.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.18 ¥7.90

10.17%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$19.2K ¥128.1K

46.09%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$17.1K ¥114.6K

106.63%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$45.97 ¥307

274.35%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$9.69 ¥64.8

37.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$11.79 ¥78.8

143.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$41.04 ¥274

10.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$13.92 ¥93.1

22.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$6.08 ¥40.65

3.29%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$331 ¥2,211

132.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$16.7K ¥111.6K

-46.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$44.28 ¥296

95.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$30.65 ¥205

86.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$72.0 ¥481

89.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$70.7 ¥473

38.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$278 ¥1,862

278.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$195 ¥1,307

215.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$581 ¥3,888

225.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$367 ¥2,451

179.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$3,040 ¥20.3K

33.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$2,022 ¥13.5K

-17.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.89

181.23%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Guiyang: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Guiyang

$195 27.3% 68.3% $420

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Guiyang

$197 27.5% 33.3% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Guiyang

$67 9.4% 68.5% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Guiyang

$98 13.7% 42.4% $72

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Guiyang

$84 11.7% 50.1% $84

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Guiyang

$21 3% 77.2% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Guiyang

$53 7.4% 8% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $278 in Guiyang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $22.00 in Guiyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $197 – making Guiyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Guiyang

🕒 Local time

00:31 12:31 AM

13:31 1:31 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

4,324,561

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Guiyang 16,350 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Guiyang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Guiyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,614 in Medellin, $716 in Guiyang – roughly 126% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,074 in Guiyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $331 in Guiyang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Guiyang, where all-in costs run around $716, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Guiyang 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 $716 in Guiyang to $1,614 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Guiyang. 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.