Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Huaibei Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Huaibei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $715 in Huaibei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,122 in Huaibei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,529 in Huaibei.

Living in Medellin is roughly 42% more expensive than Huaibei, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Huaibei 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$2.82 ¥19.11

112.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$21.52 ¥146

52.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$4.79 ¥32.45

48.02%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$2.96 ¥20.06

-42.23%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.44 ¥2.95

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.29 ¥1.99

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$0.94 ¥6.38

78.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.15 ¥14.55

42.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$1.80 ¥12.20

-39.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$1.62 ¥10.98

-22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$0.91 ¥6.19

51.65%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$1.55 ¥10.48

41.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$12.79 ¥86.6

-65.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$3.26 ¥22.05

72.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$10.25 ¥69.4

-13.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$1.82 ¥12.36

28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.22 ¥8.25

-13.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.49 ¥10.08

0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$1.13 ¥7.67

22.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$0.71 ¥4.78

61.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$0.89 ¥6.03

30.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.61 ¥4.12

45.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.51 ¥3.45

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$3.15 ¥21.32

-27.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$10.45 ¥70.8

1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$0.76 ¥5.13

57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$1.58 ¥10.72

56.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.29 ¥1.99

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$16.39 ¥111

152.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$1.41 ¥9.57

4.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.33 ¥2.21

493.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$6.69 ¥45.33

15.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.13 ¥7.63

-15.93%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$19.3K ¥130.6K

-5.94%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$17.3K ¥117.3K

52.96%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$45.38 ¥307

81.25%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$9.71 ¥65.8

-2.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$11.76 ¥79.7

106.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$41.03 ¥278

-36.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$13.86 ¥93.9

37.09%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.79 ¥39.25

-32.12%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$340 ¥2,300

-8.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$17.1K ¥116.0K

-65.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$44.14 ¥299

32.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$30.67 ¥208

5.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$71.0 ¥481

44.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$71.5 ¥484

51.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$274 ¥1,854

74.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$196 ¥1,324

93.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$591 ¥4,002

41.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$361 ¥2,446

100.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$2,972 ¥20.1K

-6.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,995 ¥13.5K

-39.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.89

245.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Huaibei: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $274 in Huaibei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Huaibei. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $198, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Huaibei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Huaibei wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Huaibei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,072 in Huaibei to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $274 in Huaibei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $715 in Huaibei – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Huaibei runs roughly 153% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $715 in Huaibei versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Huaibei but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Huaibei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Huaibei delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $715 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Huaibei hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Huaibei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.