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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $717 in Jinzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,177 in Jinzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,638 in Jinzhou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 134% more expensive than in Jinzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Jinzhou is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$2.99 ¥20.02

168.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$21.91 ¥147

118.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.24 ¥35.08

88.74%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.73 ¥18.30

14.65%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.50 ¥3.37

282.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.31 ¥2.10

387.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.02 ¥6.85

205.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.05 ¥13.74

180.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.88 ¥12.62

-23.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.73 ¥11.59

43.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.00 ¥6.68

77.00%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.56 ¥10.43

89.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$15.25 ¥102

-33.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.51 ¥23.53

188.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$12.31 ¥82.5

16.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.82 ¥12.18

127.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.25 ¥8.37

28.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.61 ¥10.81

39.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.26 ¥8.43

78.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.71 ¥4.76

187.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.89 ¥5.94

73.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.64 ¥4.28

82.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.58 ¥3.87

125.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.45 ¥23.08

13.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$9.58 ¥64.2

46.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$0.84 ¥5.60

107.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.45 ¥9.73

97.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.31 ¥2.08

293.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$15.57 ¥104

416.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.46 ¥9.78

-10.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.32 ¥2.17

584.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$7.00 ¥46.87

24.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.22 ¥8.19

12.30%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$17.6K ¥117.9K

58.09%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$19.1K ¥128.0K

87.23%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$48.90 ¥328

262.58%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$9.89 ¥66.2

40.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$10.70 ¥71.7

177.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$37.28 ¥250

20.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$12.93 ¥86.6

32.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.88 ¥39.37

13.10%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$416 ¥2,785

95.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$16.4K ¥109.5K

-43.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$42.17 ¥282

112.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$30.44 ¥204

93.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$73.5 ¥492

88.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$73.2 ¥490

39.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$333 ¥2,228

219.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$209 ¥1,397

217.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$677 ¥4,532

179.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$372 ¥2,495

175.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$3,614 ¥24.2K

15.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,672 ¥11.2K

0.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$446 ¥2,990

51.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.38

223.67%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Jinzhou: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $333 in Jinzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 52% 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 $22.00 in Jinzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $216 per month, with Jinzhou 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 Jinzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jinzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 134% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 52% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $333 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 $22.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $717 in Jinzhou – a 134% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $717 in Jinzhou versus $1,681 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 134% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.