Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jinju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jinju: $1,454 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Medellin, Colombia
Jinju, South Korea
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Jinju
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,454
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Jinju

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Jinju actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,454 in Jinju, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Jinju $1,454

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,506 in Jinju, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Jinju $2,506

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $3,557 in Jinju, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Jinju $3,557

Medellin costs about 16% more than Jinju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Jinju sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Jinju by 8%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Jinju
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$9.03 ₩12.3K
-7.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.3K
$69.3 ₩94.0K
-32.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$7.54 ₩10.2K
25.60%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$4.03 ₩5,465
-22.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,705
$1.63 ₩2,207
8.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,601
$0.73 ₩997
94.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$3.62 ₩4,911
-12.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$5.84 ₩7,924
-2.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Jinju
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,950
$2.11 ₩2,857
-27.49%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,401
$3.00 ₩4,069
-23.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,282
$4.26 ₩5,776
-54.46%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,905
$3.54 ₩4,809
-13.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$18.09 ₩24.6K
-44.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$10.47 ₩14.2K
-0.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$26.27 ₩35.6K
-46.86%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$7.68 ₩10.4K
-47.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,937
$3.43 ₩4,653
-55.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,797
$5.78 ₩7,846
-63.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,409
$6.20 ₩8,409
-63.06%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,813
$3.54 ₩4,803
-40.40%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,521
$2.59 ₩3,519
-33.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,780
$2.81 ₩3,816
-58.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,104
$1.10 ₩1,491
43.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$3.41 ₩4,621
14.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.4K
$18.47 ₩25.1K
-23.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,690
$2.38 ₩3,235
-26.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,760
$3.29 ₩4,462
-17.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Jinju
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,811
$1.13 ₩1,529
4.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,836
$3.50 ₩4,752
-48.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,878
$0.57 ₩775
273.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
$8.89 ₩12.1K
-8.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,119
$1.50 ₩2,035
-14.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
$29.6K ₩40.1M
16.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.3M
$27.7K ₩37.7M
23.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Jinju
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 574.1K
$211 ₩285.7K
-15.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.9K
$34.77 ₩47.2K
-60.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.3K
$21.12 ₩28.7K
45.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Jinju
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.5K
$55.4 ₩75.2K
-24.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.3K
$15.76 ₩21.4K
6.60%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$11.17 ₩15.2K
-33.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Jinju
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$451 ₩612.5K
75.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$26.1K ₩35.4M
-52.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Jinju
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.9K
$61.8 ₩83.9K
39.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.4K
$33.27 ₩45.1K
78.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.9K
$69.5 ₩94.3K
99.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.2K
$80.1 ₩108.6K
23.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Jinju
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$536 ₩727.6K
150.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$330 ₩447.8K
102.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$1,226 ₩1.7M
61.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$996 ₩1.4M
3.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$6,214 ₩8.4M
-34.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$4,832 ₩6.6M
-59.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Jinju
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.08
168.14%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Jinju: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Jinju
$330 50.5% $337
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Jinju
$476 55% $169
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Jinju
$266 19.8% $44
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Jinju
$182 5.7% $9.8
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Jinju
$110 36.1% $62
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Jinju
$11 * 88.4% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Jinju
$78 36.6% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $536 in Jinju. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $69 in Jinju. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $476 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇰🇷 Jinju
🕒 Local time
10:43 10:43 AM
00:43 12:43 AM
14 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
340,548
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,357 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.37 USD). 1 EUR = 1,524 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.56 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Jinju 14,780 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Jinju

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Jinju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jinju cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $2,181 in Jinju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Jinju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $536 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Jinju?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $69 in Jinju. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Jinju?
Interestingly, groceries are about 35% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is Medellin or Jinju more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Jinju – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

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