Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jieyang Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jieyang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $651 in Jieyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,013 in Jieyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,374 in Jieyang.

Living in Medellin is roughly 55% more expensive than Jieyang, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$1.98 ¥13.40

202.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$11.76 ¥79.6

179.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$3.44 ¥23.30

106.10%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,155

$2.73 ¥18.46

-37.36%

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

$1.10 COP 3,950

$0.44 ¥2.98

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,799

$0.29 ¥1.93

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,037

$0.85 ¥5.76

97.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.65 ¥11.14

86.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,931

$1.41 ¥9.53

-22.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,537

$2.16 ¥14.60

-41.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$0.82 ¥5.53

68.29%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,878

$0.81 ¥5.45

170.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$11.33 ¥76.6

-61.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$2.30 ¥15.54

144.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$10.90 ¥73.7

-18.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,403

$1.88 ¥12.74

24.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,802

$0.64 ¥4.33

65.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,409

$0.94 ¥6.34

59.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,956

$1.93 ¥13.04

-28.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,138

$0.92 ¥6.20

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,183

$1.71 ¥11.55

-32.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,203

$0.44 ¥2.98

102.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$0.51 ¥3.44

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,198

$2.76 ¥18.70

-17.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.3K

$11.03 ¥74.6

-3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,312

$0.78 ¥5.31

53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,882

$1.64 ¥11.11

50.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,076

$0.29 ¥1.98

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$17.00 ¥115

143.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,298

$0.86 ¥5.80

70.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,055

$0.14 ¥0.94

1300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$6.60 ¥44.65

17.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,431

$0.93 ¥6.32

2.15%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$12.0K ¥81.1K

51.20%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$10.5K ¥71.0K

152.50%

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

$82.3 COP 295.7K

$39.67 ¥268

107.34%

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

$9.50 COP 34.2K

$9.76 ¥66.0

-2.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$11.38 ¥77.0

112.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$41.94 ¥284

-38.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$13.83 ¥93.6

37.38%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$5.41 ¥36.63

-27.36%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$455 ¥3,081

-32.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$17.3K ¥116.8K

-65.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$19.54 ¥132

200.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.3K

$27.30 ¥185

18.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.8K

$55.1 ¥373

86.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.7K

$81.6 ¥552

32.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$277 ¥1,876

71.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$185 ¥1,253

104.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$582 ¥3,938

44.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$360 ¥2,434

101.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$3,150 ¥21.3K

-11.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,772 ¥12.0K

-31.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$1,058 ¥7,159

-51.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.56

277.25%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Jieyang: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $277 in Jieyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jieyang pays 107% 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 $12.00 in Jieyang. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $190, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Jieyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jieyang wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jieyang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Jieyang earns 107% 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 $277 in Jieyang. 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 $651 in Jieyang – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jieyang runs roughly 144% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $651 in Jieyang versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jieyang but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jieyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jieyang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $651 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jieyang hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Jieyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.