Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jeonju Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jeonju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,137 in Jeonju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,784 in Jeonju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,431 in Jeonju.

Living in Medellin is roughly 44% more expensive than in Jeonju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Jeonju is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$6.72 ₩9,005

19.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$21.98 ₩29.5K

119.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.22 ₩6,998

80.46%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.74 ₩5,013

-21.39%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.10 ₩1,472

69.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.57 ₩765

156.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.90 ₩3,886

10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.14 ₩5,548

37.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.15 ₩2,878

-33.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.27 ₩3,048

5.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$3.13 ₩4,192

-45.69%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.20 ₩2,949

31.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$10.92 ₩14.6K

-7.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$10.45 ₩14.0K

-4.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$24.38 ₩32.7K

-41.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$11.07 ₩14.8K

-64.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$3.72 ₩4,987

-57.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$8.19 ₩11.0K

-73.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$4.40 ₩5,907

-47.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$5.93 ₩7,958

-66.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.20 ₩2,946

-31.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$2.85 ₩3,816

-57.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.76 ₩1,017

68.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.71 ₩4,970

3.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$18.66 ₩25.0K

-24.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.51 ₩2,027

13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.49 ₩4,680

-21.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.15 ₩1,540

8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$3.23 ₩4,338

-59.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.72 ₩961

201.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$16.50 ₩22.1K

-49.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.32 ₩1,777

3.03%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$29.6K ₩39.6M

-7.04%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$34.1K ₩45.8M

7.01%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$69.7 ₩93.5K

142.00%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$29.67 ₩39.8K

-54.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$22.15 ₩29.7K

27.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$60.6 ₩81.2K

-24.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$8.81 ₩11.8K

-24.52%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$621 ₩832.6K

29.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$22.0K ₩29.5M

-58.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$29.95 ₩40.2K

191.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$64.3 ₩86.2K

-7.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$56.8 ₩76.1K

144.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$37.71 ₩50.6K

170.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$289 ₩387.3K

270.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$245 ₩327.9K

167.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$585 ₩783.9K

229.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$446 ₩598.2K

134.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$2,234 ₩3.0M

-70.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.22

159.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Jeonju: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $289 in Jeonju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jeonju pays 241% 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 Jeonju. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $451, 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 Jeonju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeonju is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 241% lower in Jeonju. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $289 in Jeonju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $621 in Jeonju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jeonju – 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.

At $1,137 in Jeonju versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeonju but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jeonju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jeonju is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Jeonju are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Jeonju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.