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: $1,018 in Medellin versus $697 in Jiaozuo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Medellin versus $1,083 in Jiaozuo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Medellin versus $1,469 in Jiaozuo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 46% more expensive than in Jiaozuo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Jiaozuo 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.1K

$1.70 ¥11.48

248.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.4K

$20.62 ¥139

60.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.9K

$5.59 ¥37.82

27.37%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,480

$2.62 ¥17.72

-34.73%

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

$1.05 COP 3,370

$0.38 ¥2.59

176.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,321

$0.35 ¥2.40

105.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,524

$0.79 ¥5.33

117.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.15 ¥14.55

47.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,422

$1.57 ¥10.59

-32.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,209

$1.49 ¥10.07

-12.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,273

$0.66 ¥4.44

101.52%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,328

$1.02 ¥6.93

123.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.2K

$12.98 ¥87.8

-65.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 19.0K

$2.33 ¥15.79

154.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$7.73 ¥52.3

11.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,535

$1.73 ¥11.68

35.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,541

$1.22 ¥8.24

-9.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,718

$0.58 ¥3.92

153.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,433

$0.54 ¥3.65

155.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$0.73 ¥4.93

60.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,760

$0.43 ¥2.92

172.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,902

$0.37 ¥2.53

143.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,704

$1.01 ¥6.85

-16.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,480

$2.39 ¥16.15

-2.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.3K

$9.88 ¥66.9

20.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,688

$0.64 ¥4.34

79.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,780

$2.92 ¥19.73

-17.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,698

$0.29 ¥1.99

189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 131.2K

$16.73 ¥113

144.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,535

$1.78 ¥12.02

-20.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,152

$0.33 ¥2.21

478.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.1K

$6.56 ¥44.39

19.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,033

$0.85 ¥5.74

10.59%

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

$17.8K COP 57.3M

$19.2K ¥130.0K

-7.28%

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

$27.1K COP 87.0M

$16.6K ¥112.5K

62.88%

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

$83.3 COP 267.5K

$45.05 ¥305

84.82%

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

$9.66 COP 31.0K

$11.72 ¥79.3

-17.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.8K

$11.58 ¥78.4

109.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 81.1K

$54.1 ¥366

-53.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.1K

$14.03 ¥94.9

37.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.1K

$3.67 ¥24.86

10.90%

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

$307 COP 985.2K

$164 ¥1,109

87.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.2M

$16.9K ¥114.2K

-64.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 192.6K

$44.01 ¥298

36.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.9K

$30.64 ¥207

6.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 324.8K

$71.5 ¥484

41.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.2K

$73.8 ¥499

46.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$280 ¥1,897

69.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$188 ¥1,270

101.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$603 ¥4,076

35.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$366 ¥2,479

93.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

$2,526 ¥17.1K

26.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

$1,915 ¥13.0K

-24.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

$563 ¥3,806

10.51%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Jiaozuo: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $280 in Jiaozuo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 11% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $21.00 in Jiaozuo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $178 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 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $280 in Jiaozuo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $307 in Medellin versus $164 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 $697 in Jiaozuo versus $1,018 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 46% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.