Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jinhua Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jinhua

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $646 in Jinhua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,027 in Jinhua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,408 in Jinhua.

Living in Medellin is roughly 60% more expensive than in Jinhua, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Jinhua 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$4.79 ¥32.39

28.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$20.86 ¥141

56.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.60 ¥37.81

31.07%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.37 ¥9.29

25.55%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.40 ¥2.70

162.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.27 ¥1.81

185.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$0.41 ¥2.75

312.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.37 ¥9.29

131.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.41 ¥9.54

-25.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.36 ¥9.22

-4.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.68 ¥4.61

105.88%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.20 ¥8.12

80.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$15.22 ¥103

-71.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.12 ¥21.10

88.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$8.12 ¥54.9

6.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.65 ¥11.15

38.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.09 ¥7.35

1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.08 ¥7.32

41.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.36 ¥9.22

-0.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.69 ¥4.64

63.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.69 ¥4.64

63.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.14 ¥0.94

507.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.29 ¥1.98

213.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$2.74 ¥18.51

-14.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$11.72 ¥79.2

5.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.41 ¥2.77

192.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.35 ¥9.15

84.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.29 ¥1.97

189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$16.97 ¥115

139.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.38 ¥9.30

2.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.20 ¥1.35

860.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$8.58 ¥58.0

-10.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.14 ¥7.73

-13.16%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$11.2K ¥75.5K

61.37%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$14.1K ¥95.6K

88.18%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$21.00 ¥142

284.81%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$7.43 ¥50.2

33.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$13.94 ¥94.2

73.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$42.16 ¥285

-40.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$13.96 ¥94.4

37.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.07 ¥27.49

-2.21%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$335 ¥2,266

-8.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$30.9K ¥208.7K

-80.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$20.95 ¥142

177.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$38.16 ¥258

-15.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$70.1 ¥473

43.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$27.50 ¥186

291.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$244 ¥1,650

95.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$187 ¥1,265

101.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$459 ¥3,105

83.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$348 ¥2,351

109.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$3,147 ¥21.3K

2.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,846 ¥12.5K

-25.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$1,480 ¥10.0K

-58.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

347.67%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Jinhua: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $244 in Jinhua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jinhua pays 140% 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 Jinhua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $183 per month, with Jinhua 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 Jinhua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jinhua is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 140% lower in Jinhua. 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: $477 in Medellin versus $244 in Jinhua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Jinhua runs roughly 139% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $335 in Jinhua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $646 in Jinhua versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jinhua but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jinhua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jinhua 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 Jinhua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.