Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Handan

For one person, living is cheaper in Handan: $691 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Handan
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Handan Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Handan

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Handan

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 Handan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $691 in Handan, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Handan $691

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,040 in Handan, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Handan $1,040

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,390 in Handan, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Handan $1,390

Medellin costs about 137% more than Handan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Handan is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$1.83 ¥12.15

342.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$17.67 ¥117

166.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.45 ¥29.58

113.48%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.68 ¥17.80

12.31%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.42 ¥2.82

328.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.23 ¥1.53

513.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$0.71 ¥4.74

347.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.48 ¥9.82

288.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.52 ¥10.09

-0.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.73 ¥4.85

226.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$0.73 ¥4.87

142.47%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$0.98 ¥6.48

194.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$11.99 ¥79.7

-15.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$2.97 ¥19.75

232.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$11.18 ¥74.3

25.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.41 ¥9.38

181.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$0.63 ¥4.17

146.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.44 ¥9.56

51.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.14 ¥7.60

91.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.31 ¥2.07

532.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.31 ¥2.06

412.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.56 ¥3.75

105.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.38 ¥2.53

226.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.74 ¥24.82

5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$10.07 ¥66.9

35.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.70 ¥4.68

137.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.36 ¥9.03

66.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.31 ¥2.08

277.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$18.24 ¥121

324.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.94 ¥6.24

35.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.27 ¥1.81

659.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$4.44 ¥29.48

92.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.32 ¥8.74

2.27%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$19.5K ¥129.8K

74.44%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$14.9K ¥98.9K

133.00%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$73.0 ¥485

132.49%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$4.58 ¥30.43

195.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$5.09 ¥33.83

451.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$41.16 ¥274

6.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$17.11 ¥114

0.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.40 ¥29.26

57.05%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$213 ¥1,417

273.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$19.9K ¥132.3K

-54.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$30.04 ¥200

182.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$42.53 ¥283

36.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$45.47 ¥302

196.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$69.3 ¥460

41.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$294 ¥1,952

311.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$212 ¥1,411

202.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$660 ¥4,389

207.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$338 ¥2,243

199.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,801 ¥18.6K

48.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$2,092 ¥13.9K

-8.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$651 ¥4,325

0.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

264.67%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Handan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Handan

$212 30.7% 66.9% $429

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Handan

$171 24.7% 42.5% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Handan

$83 12% 60.9% $129

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Handan

$69 10% 59.2% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Handan

$84 12.2% 50.1% $85

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Handan

$22 3.2% 76.7% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Handan

$50 7.2% 13.1% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $294 in Handan. 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 $47 in Medellin versus $18 in Handan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $171 – making Handan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Handan

🕒 Local time

21:31 9:31 PM

10:31 10:31 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

9,413,990

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Handan 15,130 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Handan

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 Handan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 137%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,037 in Handan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Handan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $294 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $18 in Handan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $691 in Handan. That makes Handan about 58% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Handan, where all-in costs run around $691, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Handan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Handan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Handan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 58% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.