Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jining Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jining

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $683 in Jining.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,014 in Jining.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,346 in Jining.

Living in Medellin is roughly 151% more expensive than in Jining, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Jining is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$2.30 ¥15.41

249.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$16.07 ¥108

200.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$4.36 ¥29.27

124.08%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.51 ¥16.83

15.94%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.47 ¥3.12

312.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.29 ¥1.92

424.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$0.91 ¥6.12

239.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$1.67 ¥11.21

243.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.67 ¥11.20

-18.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.16 ¥7.80

106.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$0.93 ¥6.22

82.80%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$0.98 ¥6.56

192.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$8.09 ¥54.3

22.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$2.89 ¥19.40

273.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$10.27 ¥68.9

43.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.47 ¥9.88

178.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.01 ¥6.81

55.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.06 ¥7.13

100.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.17 ¥7.84

88.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$0.62 ¥4.15

230.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$0.72 ¥4.83

108.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$0.61 ¥4.11

95.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.76 ¥5.13

52.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.18 ¥34.79

-24.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$9.39 ¥63.0

53.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.01 ¥6.76

56.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$1.62 ¥10.85

74.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.31 ¥2.10

277.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$20.37 ¥137

281.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.07 ¥7.18

19.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.29 ¥1.92

620.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$3.53 ¥23.67

144.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.27 ¥8.54

2.36%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$19.3K ¥129.8K

43.02%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$17.4K ¥116.7K

104.19%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$60.6 ¥406

190.74%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$7.15 ¥47.98

86.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$10.57 ¥70.9

182.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$41.78 ¥280

7.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$14.84 ¥99.6

14.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$4.45 ¥29.85

39.33%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$314 ¥2,110

152.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$7,437 ¥49.9K

21.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$51.9 ¥348

64.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$31.02 ¥208

88.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$73.0 ¥490

86.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$70.3 ¥471

46.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$281 ¥1,886

276.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$179 ¥1,204

278.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$392 ¥2,629

413.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$265 ¥1,777

341.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$3,192 ¥21.4K

28.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,958 ¥13.1K

-13.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$579 ¥3,887

14.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.29

232.52%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Jining: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $281 in Jining. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 15% 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 $16.00 in Jining for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $171 per month, with Jining 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 Jining: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jining is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 151% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $281 in Jining. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Jining runs roughly 282% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $314 in Jining. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $683 in Jining versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jining but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jining the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jining 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 Jining gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.