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: $1,716 in Medellin versus $776 in Hefei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,235 in Hefei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,694 in Hefei.

Living in Medellin is roughly 121% more expensive than in Hefei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Hefei is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$2.46 ¥16.48

226.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$22.01 ¥148

119.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$4.51 ¥30.25

116.63%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.71 ¥18.13

7.38%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.53 ¥3.53

266.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.29 ¥1.95

424.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$1.02 ¥6.81

202.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$2.05 ¥13.75

180.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.62 ¥10.85

-16.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.95 ¥13.04

22.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$0.80 ¥5.38

112.50%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.83 ¥12.25

56.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$13.89 ¥93.1

-28.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$4.91 ¥32.93

119.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$11.58 ¥77.6

27.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.22 ¥14.89

84.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.67 ¥11.19

-5.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.71 ¥11.46

24.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.53 ¥10.23

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$0.82 ¥5.52

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.92 ¥6.18

63.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.85 ¥5.68

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.70 ¥4.67

65.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.03 ¥20.29

28.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$11.86 ¥79.5

21.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$0.92 ¥6.16

71.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$1.97 ¥13.19

43.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.29 ¥1.93

303.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$45.35 ¥304

71.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$1.18 ¥7.87

8.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.31 ¥2.11

574.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$3.47 ¥23.26

148.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.23 ¥8.27

5.69%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$19.2K ¥128.5K

44.27%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$16.7K ¥112.2K

112.02%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$49.41 ¥331

256.34%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$9.12 ¥61.1

46.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$11.74 ¥78.7

154.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$15.74 ¥105

184.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$15.29 ¥102

11.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$6.20 ¥41.53

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$244 ¥1,636

225.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$8,710 ¥58.4K

3.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$89.8 ¥602

-4.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$32.55 ¥218

79.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$63.2 ¥424

115.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$94.8 ¥635

8.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$247 ¥1,655

328.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$182 ¥1,220

273.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$545 ¥3,654

268.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$334 ¥2,236

250.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$3,509 ¥23.5K

17.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,939 ¥13.0K

-12.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$1,014 ¥6,796

-34.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.15

247.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Hefei: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $247 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hefei pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $231 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 121% 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 52% 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $247 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 $22.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $776 in Hefei – a 121% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $776 in Hefei versus $1,716 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 $776 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 121% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.