Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guizhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guizhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $582 in Guizhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $924 in Guizhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,266 in Guizhou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 74% more expensive than Guizhou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Guizhou 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$2.15 ¥14.58

178.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$19.48 ¥132

68.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$5.30 ¥35.89

33.77%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$3.12 ¥21.15

-45.19%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.41 ¥2.75

168.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.24 ¥1.61

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$0.68 ¥4.60

147.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$1.36 ¥9.24

125.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$1.96 ¥13.27

-44.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$1.35 ¥9.15

-6.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$0.85 ¥5.74

62.35%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$2.03 ¥13.74

7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$13.65 ¥92.5

-67.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$4.82 ¥32.63

16.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$10.64 ¥72.0

-16.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$1.60 ¥10.83

46.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.48 ¥10.02

-28.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.02 ¥6.89

47.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$1.12 ¥7.60

23.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$0.47 ¥3.21

144.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$0.55 ¥3.70

110.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.51 ¥3.43

74.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.53 ¥3.57

58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$2.74 ¥18.56

-16.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$7.42 ¥50.3

43.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$0.74 ¥5.03

62.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$2.58 ¥17.51

-4.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.34 ¥2.28

152.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$16.94 ¥115

144.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$1.69 ¥11.46

-13.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.28 ¥1.92

600.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$6.86 ¥46.48

12.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.17 ¥7.94

-18.80%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$13.9K ¥93.9K

30.80%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$15.4K ¥104.0K

72.51%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$27.34 ¥185

200.84%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$5.64 ¥38.23

68.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$8.57 ¥58.0

182.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$17.59 ¥119

47.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$13.88 ¥94.0

36.89%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.92 ¥46.88

-43.21%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$299 ¥2,025

3.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$10.8K ¥72.8K

-44.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$34.65 ¥235

69.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$24.45 ¥166

32.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$59.9 ¥406

71.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$39.25 ¥266

176.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$278 ¥1,880

71.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$134 ¥910

182.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$357 ¥2,417

134.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$226 ¥1,532

220.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$1,817 ¥12.3K

53.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,090 ¥7,382

11.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$688 ¥4,660

-25.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.4

295.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Guizhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $278 in Guizhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guizhou pays 34% 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 $19.00 in Guizhou. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $203, 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 Guizhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guizhou is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Guizhou earns 34% 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 $278 in Guizhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Guizhou runs roughly 144% 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 $299 in Guizhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $582 in Guizhou versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Guizhou but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Guizhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Guizhou 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Guizhou are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Guizhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.