Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Huainan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Huainan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,028 per month in Medellin vs $729 in Huainan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $1,152 in Huainan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Medellin vs $1,576 in Huainan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 41% more than Huainan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Huainan are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Huainan 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$2.71 ¥18.37

121.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$21.37 ¥145

53.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$4.94 ¥33.44

50.20%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$3.01 ¥20.37

-45.18%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$0.46 ¥3.14

132.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.29 ¥1.99

162.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$0.93 ¥6.29

84.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.13 ¥14.41

50.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$1.79 ¥12.12

-41.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$1.55 ¥10.52

-15.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$0.89 ¥6.03

50.56%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$1.58 ¥10.72

38.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$12.71 ¥86.0

-65.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$3.17 ¥21.43

79.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$10.28 ¥69.6

-17.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$1.87 ¥12.69

25.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.20 ¥8.16

-7.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$1.47 ¥9.95

3.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$1.14 ¥7.70

20.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$0.73 ¥4.95

57.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$0.95 ¥6.43

24.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$0.55 ¥3.75

52.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$0.51 ¥3.44

68.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$3.11 ¥21.05

-27.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$10.43 ¥70.6

11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$0.73 ¥4.96

64.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$1.57 ¥10.64

57.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$0.29 ¥1.97

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$16.74 ¥113

143.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$1.38 ¥9.33

6.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$0.32 ¥2.19

500.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$6.58 ¥44.51

18.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$1.17 ¥7.95

-13.68%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$19.6K ¥132.9K

-10.07%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$17.0K ¥115.4K

55.21%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$44.82 ¥303

80.95%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$9.93 ¥67.2

-5.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$11.76 ¥79.6

102.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$42.34 ¥287

-38.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$13.89 ¥94.0

34.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$5.90 ¥39.94

-30.68%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$339 ¥2,295

-7.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$16.7K ¥112.8K

-63.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$43.42 ¥294

37.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$30.89 ¥209

3.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$72.0 ¥487

40.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$72.6 ¥491

44.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$283 ¥1,917

71.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$190 ¥1,285

92.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$597 ¥4,038

38.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$357 ¥2,414

104.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$3,039 ¥20.6K

-1.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$2,019 ¥13.7K

-34.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Huainan: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Medellin versus $283 in Huainan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $21.00 in Huainan. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $196 in Huainan – 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 Huainan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 41%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,542 per month in Medellin and $1,093 in Huainan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $21.00 in Huainan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,028 in Medellin and $729 in Huainan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Huainan, where all-in costs run around $729, than in Medellin at $1,028. In Huainan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Huainan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Huainan. 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.