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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $735 in Hefei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,184 in Hefei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,634 in Hefei.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than Hefei, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Hefei 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.44 ¥23.30

74.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$16.83 ¥114

95.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$4.15 ¥28.08

70.84%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$2.35 ¥15.89

-27.23%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.47 ¥3.19

134.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.23 ¥1.56

239.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$0.82 ¥5.58

104.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.11 ¥14.29

45.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.69 ¥11.43

-35.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.61 ¥10.91

-21.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$1.20 ¥8.11

15.00%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.91 ¥12.93

14.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$8.60 ¥58.2

-48.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.07 ¥27.57

38.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$9.92 ¥67.1

-10.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.80 ¥12.16

30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.82 ¥5.57

29.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.28 ¥8.63

17.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$0.83 ¥5.59

66.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.60 ¥4.09

91.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.49 ¥3.29

136.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.53 ¥3.59

67.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.56 ¥3.76

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$2.81 ¥19.01

-18.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$9.50 ¥64.3

12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$0.72 ¥4.86

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.64 ¥11.13

50.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.33 ¥2.25

160.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$41.14 ¥278

0.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.34 ¥9.08

9.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.26 ¥1.74

653.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$2.54 ¥17.21

204.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.15 ¥7.81

-17.39%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$19.6K ¥132.4K

-7.29%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$19.2K ¥129.7K

38.20%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$40.99 ¥277

100.66%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$12.86 ¥87.1

-26.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$13.70 ¥92.7

76.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$82.8 ¥561

-68.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$12.49 ¥84.6

52.12%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.81 ¥39.33

-32.36%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$257 ¥1,742

20.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$8,920 ¥60.4K

-33.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$57.9 ¥392

1.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$30.23 ¥205

7.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$60.9 ¥412

68.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$74.5 ¥504

45.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$229 ¥1,547

108.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$180 ¥1,220

110.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$484 ¥3,276

73.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$366 ¥2,479

97.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$3,744 ¥25.3K

-25.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$2,044 ¥13.8K

-40.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$962 ¥6,512

-46.80%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hefei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $229 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hefei pays 88% 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 $17.00 in Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $182 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 38% 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, Hefei earns 88% 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 $229 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 $17.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $735 in Hefei – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $735 in Hefei versus $1,013 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 $735 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 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.