Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Heyuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Heyuan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,018 per month in Medellin vs $746 in Heyuan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,609 per month in Medellin vs $1,180 in Heyuan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,200 per month in Medellin vs $1,614 in Heyuan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 36% more than Heyuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Heyuan are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Heyuan 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.1K

$2.83 ¥19.18

109.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.4K

$15.02 ¥102

120.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.9K

$4.26 ¥28.82

67.14%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,480

$2.11 ¥14.27

-18.96%

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

$1.05 COP 3,370

$0.33 ¥2.26

218.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,321

$0.22 ¥1.49

227.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,524

$0.68 ¥4.58

152.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$1.71 ¥11.57

85.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,422

$1.97 ¥13.33

-46.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,209

$2.08 ¥14.04

-37.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,273

$1.24 ¥8.41

7.26%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,328

$1.51 ¥10.19

50.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.2K

$18.72 ¥127

-76.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 19.0K

$4.50 ¥30.45

31.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$14.06 ¥95.1

-38.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,535

$2.09 ¥14.17

11.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,541

$1.20 ¥8.14

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,718

$1.94 ¥13.11

-24.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,433

$1.42 ¥9.61

-2.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$0.88 ¥5.97

32.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,760

$1.09 ¥7.34

7.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,902

$0.56 ¥3.81

60.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,704

$0.64 ¥4.35

31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,480

$3.90 ¥26.35

-40.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.3K

$12.06 ¥81.6

-1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,688

$0.95 ¥6.45

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,780

$1.41 ¥9.53

71.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,698

$0.29 ¥1.97

189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 131.2K

$16.80 ¥114

143.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,535

$1.72 ¥11.61

-18.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,152

$0.34 ¥2.33

461.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.1K

$6.30 ¥42.63

24.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,033

$1.14 ¥7.69

-17.54%

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

$17.8K COP 57.3M

$20.6K ¥139.5K

-13.62%

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

$27.1K COP 87.0M

$19.4K ¥131.1K

39.76%

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

$83.3 COP 267.5K

$60.6 ¥410

37.35%

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

$9.66 COP 31.0K

$13.19 ¥89.2

-26.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.8K

$11.56 ¥78.2

109.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 81.1K

$42.19 ¥285

-40.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.1K

$13.83 ¥93.6

39.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.1K

$6.49 ¥43.91

-37.29%

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

$307 COP 985.2K

$319 ¥2,156

-3.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.2M

$16.3K ¥110.3K

-63.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 192.6K

$40.29 ¥273

48.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.9K

$28.40 ¥192

14.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 324.8K

$68.9 ¥466

46.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.2K

$61.1 ¥414

76.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$282 ¥1,906

68.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$190 ¥1,287

99.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$584 ¥3,952

39.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$360 ¥2,438

96.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

$2,831 ¥19.1K

12.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

$1,929 ¥13.1K

-25.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

$1,340 ¥9,068

-53.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.08

229.17%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Last update for Heyuan: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $282 in Heyuan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 116% higher in Heyuan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $15.00 in Heyuan. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Medellin vs $251 in Heyuan – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Heyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,018 in Medellin, $746 in Heyuan – roughly 36% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,527 per month in Medellin and $1,119 in Heyuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Heyuan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 31% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $15.00 in Heyuan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Heyuan, where all-in costs run around $746, than in Medellin at $1,018. In Heyuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $746 in Heyuan to $1,018 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Heyuan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.