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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $726 in Jiamusi, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,144 in Jiamusi, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $1,561 in Jiamusi, rent included.

Medellin costs about 40% more than Jiamusi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Jiamusi are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Jiamusi 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$2.85 ¥19.30

110.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$21.88 ¥148

50.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$5.00 ¥33.87

41.80%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$3.03 ¥20.55

-43.56%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.43 ¥2.95

155.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.29 ¥1.98

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$0.94 ¥6.37

78.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.15 ¥14.58

42.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$1.88 ¥12.75

-42.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$1.59 ¥10.79

-20.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$0.91 ¥6.18

51.65%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$1.59 ¥10.74

37.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$13.00 ¥88.1

-66.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$3.10 ¥20.97

81.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$10.15 ¥68.7

-12.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$1.87 ¥12.68

25.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.19 ¥8.08

-10.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.50 ¥10.15

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$1.10 ¥7.46

25.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$0.74 ¥5.01

55.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$0.89 ¥5.99

30.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.59 ¥4.01

50.85%

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

$3.19 ¥21.64

-28.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$10.77 ¥72.9

-1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$0.79 ¥5.35

51.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$1.66 ¥11.27

48.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.27 ¥1.80

218.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$16.97 ¥115

143.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$1.35 ¥9.16

8.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.32 ¥2.19

512.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$6.84 ¥46.33

13.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.12 ¥7.60

-15.18%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$19.8K ¥133.9K

-8.32%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$17.4K ¥117.8K

52.25%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$44.96 ¥305

82.94%

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

$11.59 ¥78.5

109.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$41.16 ¥279

-37.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$14.17 ¥96.0

34.09%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.87 ¥39.73

-33.05%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$332 ¥2,251

-6.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$16.8K ¥113.5K

-64.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$43.90 ¥297

33.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$30.42 ¥206

6.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$70.8 ¥479

44.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$72.2 ¥489

50.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$274 ¥1,858

73.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$194 ¥1,311

95.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$591 ¥4,000

41.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$359 ¥2,429

101.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$2,999 ¥20.3K

-6.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$2,023 ¥13.7K

-40.11%

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 Jiamusi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $274 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 $22.00 in Jiamusi. Groceries tell a different story – $188 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 40%, 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 $1,519 per month in Medellin and $1,089 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 $309 per month in Medellin and $332 in Jiamusi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% 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 $726, than in Medellin at $1,013. 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.