Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jiamusi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jiamusi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Medellin vs $702 in Jiamusi, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Medellin vs $1,113 in Jiamusi, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Medellin vs $1,525 in Jiamusi, rent included.

Medellin costs about 47% more than Jiamusi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Jiamusi are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Jiamusi 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$2.85 ¥19.26

116.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$21.48 ¥145

51.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.01 ¥33.84

46.51%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.94 ¥19.90

-41.50%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.46 ¥3.12

128.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.27 ¥1.81

185.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$0.88 ¥5.96

92.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.13 ¥14.36

48.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.88 ¥12.71

-44.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.60 ¥10.82

-18.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.90 ¥6.10

55.56%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.58 ¥10.71

36.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$12.72 ¥85.9

-65.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.15 ¥21.26

86.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.15 ¥68.6

-14.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.90 ¥12.81

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.25 ¥8.46

-11.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.52 ¥10.30

0.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.15 ¥7.79

17.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.74 ¥4.97

52.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.95 ¥6.42

18.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.55 ¥3.74

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.54 ¥3.67

68.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$3.11 ¥21.04

-24.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$10.63 ¥71.9

16.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.73 ¥4.96

64.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.65 ¥11.13

50.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.29 ¥1.98

189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$16.79 ¥113

141.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.35 ¥9.14

5.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.33 ¥2.21

481.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$6.48 ¥43.81

18.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.13 ¥7.65

-12.39%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$19.6K ¥132.3K

-7.90%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$17.1K ¥115.3K

56.01%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$45.33 ¥306

78.27%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$9.81 ¥66.3

1.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$11.57 ¥78.2

108.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$41.01 ¥277

-38.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$14.04 ¥94.9

36.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$5.95 ¥40.22

-33.11%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$328 ¥2,213

-6.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$17.0K ¥114.7K

-64.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$43.54 ¥294

33.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$31.03 ¥210

3.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$72.8 ¥492

38.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$71.2 ¥481

51.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$283 ¥1,913

68.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$193 ¥1,307

94.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$602 ¥4,067

40.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$357 ¥2,413

104.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$3,024 ¥20.4K

6.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$2,032 ¥13.7K

-32.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Jiamusi: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Medellin versus $283 in Jiamusi. 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 Jiamusi. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Medellin vs $199 in Jiamusi – 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 Jiamusi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 47%, 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 $1,546 per month in Medellin and $1,052 in Jiamusi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $305 per month in Medellin and $328 in Jiamusi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jiamusi, where all-in costs run around $702, than in Medellin at $1,031. In Jiamusi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jiamusi – 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 Jiamusi. 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.