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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $658 in Jiangmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $961 in Jiangmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,263 in Jiangmen.

Living in Medellin is roughly 54% more expensive than Jiangmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Jiangmen 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$3.20 ¥21.66

87.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$16.87 ¥114

94.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$5.11 ¥34.58

38.75%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,155

$2.71 ¥18.32

-36.90%

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

$1.10 COP 3,950

$0.50 ¥3.40

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,799

$0.30 ¥2.05

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,037

$1.28 ¥8.68

31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.77 ¥18.76

10.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,931

$1.82 ¥12.34

-40.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,537

$1.57 ¥10.59

-19.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$0.94 ¥6.39

46.81%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,878

$1.64 ¥11.13

33.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$6.82 ¥46.14

-35.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$3.20 ¥21.66

75.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$9.57 ¥64.8

-7.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,403

$1.88 ¥12.73

24.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,802

$1.29 ¥8.70

-17.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,409

$1.03 ¥6.95

45.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,956

$1.22 ¥8.27

13.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,138

$0.58 ¥3.92

98.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,183

$0.78 ¥5.30

48.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,203

$0.40 ¥2.68

122.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$0.55 ¥3.72

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,198

$3.44 ¥23.30

-33.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.3K

$12.75 ¥86.3

-16.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,312

$0.65 ¥4.42

84.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,882

$1.70 ¥11.53

45.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,076

$0.43 ¥2.93

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$17.01 ¥115

143.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,298

$1.42 ¥9.59

3.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,055

$0.34 ¥2.33

476.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$6.75 ¥45.67

14.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,431

$1.17 ¥7.94

-18.80%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$22.6K ¥152.8K

-19.74%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$20.2K ¥136.5K

31.29%

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

$82.3 COP 295.7K

$37.87 ¥256

117.19%

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

$9.50 COP 34.2K

$7.77 ¥52.6

22.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$11.57 ¥78.3

109.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$28.15 ¥190

-8.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$4.22 ¥28.56

350.24%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$6.40 ¥43.29

-38.59%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$225 ¥1,522

37.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$9,624 ¥65.1K

-38.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$20.74 ¥140

182.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.3K

$30.66 ¥207

5.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.8K

$74.7 ¥506

37.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.7K

$37.72 ¥255

187.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$283 ¥1,915

68.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$186 ¥1,256

103.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$414 ¥2,801

102.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$247 ¥1,673

192.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$6,005 ¥40.6K

-53.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,236 ¥8,362

-2.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$587 ¥3,973

-12.87%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Jiangmen: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $283 in Jiangmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jiangmen pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $17.00 in Jiangmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $180 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 54% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $658 including rent). Jiangmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Jiangmen earns 15% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $283 in Jiangmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $658 in Jiangmen – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jiangmen runs roughly 143% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $658 in Jiangmen versus $1,013 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 54% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.