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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $507 in Jiangmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $986 in Jiangmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,464 in Jiangmen.

Living in Medellin is roughly 231% more expensive than in Jiangmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Jiangmen is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.27 ¥21.92

145.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$30.16 ¥202

58.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.14 ¥34.46

92.41%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.26 ¥15.14

38.50%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.39 ¥2.64

389.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.29 ¥1.92

420.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$0.90 ¥6.05

246.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$1.51 ¥10.13

280.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.58 ¥10.58

-8.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.66 ¥11.14

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.07 ¥7.17

65.42%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.67 ¥11.17

77.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$21.88 ¥147

-53.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$2.20 ¥14.71

360.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$13.19 ¥88.4

8.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.12 ¥14.17

95.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.93 ¥6.20

73.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.22 ¥8.16

84.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.49 ¥9.99

51.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.69 ¥4.62

195.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.93 ¥6.23

65.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.29 ¥1.92

303.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.55 ¥3.65

138.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.00 ¥20.11

30.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$12.37 ¥82.8

13.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$0.69 ¥4.60

152.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.84 ¥12.30

55.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.47 ¥3.13

159.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.48 ¥9.90

-11.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.38 ¥2.53

476.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$7.20 ¥48.20

20.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.32 ¥8.81

3.79%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$19.6K ¥131.3K

41.97%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$17.0K ¥114.1K

109.92%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$50.1 ¥336

253.82%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$8.62 ¥57.7

61.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$12.42 ¥83.2

139.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$29.73 ¥199

50.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$4.35 ¥29.11

293.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$6.40 ¥42.87

3.91%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$243 ¥1,630

234.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$7,590 ¥50.8K

21.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$29.93 ¥201

199.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$40.22 ¥269

46.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$68.2 ¥457

102.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$44.33 ¥297

130.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$444 ¥2,972

325.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$271 ¥1,814

279.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$6,062 ¥40.6K

-30.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,227 ¥8,216

36.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$603 ¥4,037

12.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.37

224.63%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Jiangmen: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Medellin pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $30.00 in Jiangmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $231 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 231% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $507 including rent). Jiangmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $243 in Jiangmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jiangmen – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $507 in Jiangmen versus $1,681 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 231% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.