Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jiaozuo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jiaozuo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $680 in Jiaozuo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,085 in Jiaozuo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,490 in Jiaozuo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 49% more expensive than Jiaozuo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Jiaozuo 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$1.71 ¥11.59

250.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$20.95 ¥142

56.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$5.68 ¥38.43

24.82%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,155

$2.72 ¥18.40

-37.13%

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

$1.10 COP 3,950

$0.39 ¥2.62

182.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,799

$0.36 ¥2.41

116.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,037

$0.79 ¥5.37

112.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.12 ¥14.34

44.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,931

$1.51 ¥10.22

-27.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,537

$1.49 ¥10.07

-15.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$0.65 ¥4.39

112.31%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,878

$1.02 ¥6.91

114.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$12.96 ¥87.7

-66.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$2.26 ¥15.26

149.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$7.55 ¥51.1

17.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,403

$1.73 ¥11.71

35.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,802

$1.26 ¥8.50

-15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,409

$0.58 ¥3.91

158.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,956

$0.53 ¥3.61

160.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,138

$0.67 ¥4.52

71.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,183

$0.40 ¥2.72

190.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,203

$0.35 ¥2.36

154.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$1.01 ¥6.85

-16.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,198

$2.41 ¥16.31

-5.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.3K

$9.55 ¥64.6

11.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,312

$0.66 ¥4.46

81.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,882

$2.90 ¥19.63

-14.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,076

$0.27 ¥1.80

218.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$17.02 ¥115

143.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,298

$1.79 ¥12.12

-17.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,055

$0.33 ¥2.23

493.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$6.54 ¥44.22

18.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,431

$0.86 ¥5.79

10.47%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$19.6K ¥132.5K

-7.42%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$17.0K ¥115.2K

55.49%

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

$82.3 COP 295.7K

$46.09 ¥312

78.46%

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

$9.50 COP 34.2K

$11.68 ¥79.0

-18.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$11.61 ¥78.5

108.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$53.5 ¥362

-51.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$13.67 ¥92.5

38.99%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$3.62 ¥24.48

8.56%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$168 ¥1,139

83.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$17.1K ¥115.7K

-65.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$44.08 ¥298

33.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.3K

$30.48 ¥206

6.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.8K

$71.2 ¥482

44.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.7K

$73.9 ¥500

46.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$274 ¥1,851

74.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$189 ¥1,279

100.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$603 ¥4,082

38.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$356 ¥2,408

103.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,544 ¥17.2K

9.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,967 ¥13.3K

-38.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$573 ¥3,874

-10.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.01

168.06%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Jiaozuo: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $274 in Jiaozuo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jiaozuo pays 12% 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 $21.00 in Jiaozuo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $175 per month, with Jiaozuo 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 Jiaozuo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiaozuo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Jiaozuo earns 12% 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 $274 in Jiaozuo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $168 in Jiaozuo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $680 in Jiaozuo versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jiaozuo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jiaozuo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jiaozuo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Jiaozuo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.