Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hefei Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hefei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $739 in Hefei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,183 in Hefei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,628 in Hefei.

Living in Medellin is roughly 39% more expensive than in Hefei, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Hefei 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$3.52 ¥23.81

75.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$16.46 ¥111

98.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$4.21 ¥28.46

74.35%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.29 ¥15.48

-24.89%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.47 ¥3.15

123.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.23 ¥1.55

234.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$0.80 ¥5.42

111.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.06 ¥13.93

53.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.59 ¥10.77

-33.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.59 ¥10.75

-18.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.16 ¥7.81

20.69%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.84 ¥12.46

17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$8.40 ¥56.7

-47.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.22 ¥28.50

39.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$9.94 ¥67.2

-13.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.80 ¥12.16

26.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$0.87 ¥5.89

27.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.21 ¥8.15

26.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.84 ¥5.69

60.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.64 ¥4.30

76.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.45 ¥3.07

151.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.49 ¥3.32

73.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.55 ¥3.72

65.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$2.81 ¥18.96

-16.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$9.42 ¥63.7

31.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.67 ¥4.56

79.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.63 ¥11.01

52.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.34 ¥2.29

147.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$42.13 ¥285

-3.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.30 ¥8.78

9.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.28 ¥1.91

585.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$2.50 ¥16.89

206.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.19 ¥8.07

-16.81%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$19.0K ¥128.4K

-5.12%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$19.2K ¥129.9K

38.52%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$42.35 ¥286

90.81%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$13.07 ¥88.3

-23.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$13.85 ¥93.6

74.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$82.3 ¥556

-69.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$12.15 ¥82.1

57.61%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$6.06 ¥40.98

-34.32%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$256 ¥1,728

19.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$9,030 ¥61.0K

-32.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$57.0 ¥385

1.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$30.43 ¥206

5.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$61.5 ¥415

63.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$72.1 ¥487

49.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$230 ¥1,556

106.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$180 ¥1,218

108.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$481 ¥3,252

75.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$359 ¥2,427

103.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$3,584 ¥24.2K

-10.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,955 ¥13.2K

-29.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$998 ¥6,741

-38.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.37

207.32%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Hefei: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $230 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hefei pays 62% 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 $16.00 in Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $180 per month, with Hefei cheaper across the board.

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 Hefei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hefei wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hefei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 62% lower in Hefei. 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: $477 in Medellin versus $230 in Hefei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hefei – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,031 per month in Medellin versus $739 in Hefei – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $739 in Hefei versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hefei but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Hefei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hefei delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $739 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hefei hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Hefei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.