Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jinzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jinzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $714 in Jinzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,118 in Jinzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,522 in Jinzhou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 40% more expensive than in Jinzhou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Jinzhou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$2.86 ¥19.30

106.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$20.93 ¥141

57.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$4.96 ¥33.47

49.80%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$2.95 ¥19.89

-44.07%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.43 ¥2.93

155.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.27 ¥1.81

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$0.95 ¥6.44

81.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.03 ¥13.73

56.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.78 ¥12.04

-38.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.59 ¥10.75

-20.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$0.90 ¥6.05

53.33%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.59 ¥10.73

37.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$13.01 ¥87.8

-65.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$3.21 ¥21.68

80.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$10.40 ¥70.2

-13.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$1.72 ¥11.60

34.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.25 ¥8.46

-15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.35 ¥9.12

12.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.08 ¥7.27

25.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$0.67 ¥4.52

68.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$0.96 ¥6.45

21.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.56 ¥3.76

60.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.51 ¥3.45

76.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$3.07 ¥20.72

-27.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$12.17 ¥82.2

-0.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$0.74 ¥5.00

60.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$1.58 ¥10.69

56.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.27 ¥1.81

214.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$16.96 ¥114

145.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$1.35 ¥9.14

5.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.35 ¥2.40

457.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$6.57 ¥44.37

20.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.18 ¥7.97

-16.10%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$19.2K ¥129.5K

-8.25%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$17.0K ¥114.7K

57.73%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$46.29 ¥313

79.33%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$9.90 ¥66.8

-2.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$11.53 ¥77.8

103.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$42.51 ¥287

-40.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$14.20 ¥95.9

34.51%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$6.44 ¥43.48

-38.66%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$339 ¥2,292

-6.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$17.2K ¥116.0K

-65.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$44.11 ¥298

36.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$30.82 ¥208

3.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$71.7 ¥484

41.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$74.6 ¥504

44.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$274 ¥1,848

73.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$190 ¥1,284

96.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$603 ¥4,073

40.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$367 ¥2,477

96.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$2,919 ¥19.7K

11.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$2,147 ¥14.5K

-32.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$449 ¥3,033

38.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.87

247.03%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Jinzhou: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $274 in Jinzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 39% 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 Jinzhou. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $200, 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 Jinzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jinzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $475 in Medellin versus $274 in Jinzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Jinzhou – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,003 per month in Medellin versus $714 in Jinzhou – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $714 in Jinzhou versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jinzhou but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jinzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jinzhou 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 Jinzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.