Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jiangmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jiangmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Medellin versus $662 in Jiangmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Medellin versus $960 in Jiangmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Medellin versus $1,258 in Jiangmen.

Living in Medellin is roughly 53% more expensive than Jiangmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Jiangmen 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.2K

$3.11 ¥21.26

97.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.3K

$16.61 ¥113

98.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$5.00 ¥34.15

46.40%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,987

$2.78 ¥18.98

-40.29%

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

$1.10 COP 3,987

$0.48 ¥3.28

129.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,822

$0.28 ¥1.89

178.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,188

$1.27 ¥8.70

34.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.5K

$2.82 ¥19.25

12.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,012

$1.75 ¥11.95

-36.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,719

$1.51 ¥10.32

-13.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,980

$0.90 ¥6.11

53.33%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 8,009

$1.65 ¥11.28

34.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.7K

$7.09 ¥48.41

-38.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$3.15 ¥21.49

84.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.4K

$9.55 ¥65.2

-5.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,164

$1.87 ¥12.80

20.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,023

$1.26 ¥8.62

-11.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,284

$1.07 ¥7.31

36.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,929

$1.20 ¥8.18

14.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,009

$0.58 ¥3.93

91.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,199

$0.83 ¥5.70

39.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,211

$0.37 ¥2.53

140.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,124

$0.55 ¥3.73

58.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,495

$3.41 ¥23.28

-31.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.2K

$14.25 ¥97.4

-23.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,330

$0.65 ¥4.42

84.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,946

$1.71 ¥11.69

45.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,842

$0.43 ¥2.96

83.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 147.2K

$16.95 ¥116

140.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,137

$1.41 ¥9.63

0.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,900

$0.35 ¥2.37

445.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$6.92 ¥47.28

10.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,490

$1.13 ¥7.71

-14.16%

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

$18.1K COP 65.3M

$22.8K ¥155.9K

-20.69%

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

$26.3K COP 95.0M

$20.3K ¥138.4K

29.86%

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

$81.3 COP 293.5K

$37.70 ¥257

115.68%

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

$9.63 COP 34.8K

$7.79 ¥53.2

23.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 88.0K

$11.44 ¥78.1

112.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.9K

$27.46 ¥188

-5.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.3K

$4.13 ¥28.22

358.11%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$6.14 ¥41.95

-36.64%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$223 ¥1,520

36.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$9,624 ¥65.7K

-38.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.8K

$21.03 ¥144

179.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.2K

$29.84 ¥204

8.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 367.3K

$74.7 ¥510

36.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 390.4K

$37.06 ¥253

191.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$281 ¥1,917

69.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$188 ¥1,284

97.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$419 ¥2,861

102.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$247 ¥1,689

189.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.4M

$3,160 ¥21.6K

-9.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

$1,215 ¥8,296

13.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 2.0M

$557 ¥3,807

-2.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.04

232.43%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Last update for Jiangmen: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Medellin and $281 in Jiangmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jiangmen pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $17 in Jiangmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $182 per month, with Jiangmen cheaper across the board.

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 Jiangmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Jiangmen differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($1,014 vs $662 including rent). Jiangmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Jiangmen earns 3% less. 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: $474 in Medellin versus $281 in Jiangmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,014 per month in Medellin versus $662 in Jiangmen – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jiangmen runs roughly 141% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $662 in Jiangmen versus $1,014 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jiangmen but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jiangmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Jiangmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.