Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jiujiang Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jiujiang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $757 in Jiujiang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,199 in Jiujiang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,642 in Jiujiang.

Living in Medellin is roughly 34% more expensive than Jiujiang, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Jiujiang 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$2.82 ¥19.09

110.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$20.54 ¥139

62.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$5.63 ¥38.09

28.42%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.09 ¥14.11

-22.01%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.42 ¥2.83

159.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.29 ¥1.96

151.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$0.87 ¥5.89

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.66 ¥18.01

21.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.79 ¥12.13

-41.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.33 ¥8.99

-3.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.92 ¥6.21

43.48%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.40 ¥9.44

62.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$12.43 ¥84.1

-65.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.49 ¥23.61

68.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$12.65 ¥85.6

-31.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.94 ¥13.12

15.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.08 ¥7.29

-0.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.24 ¥8.35

22.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.94 ¥6.34

51.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.72 ¥4.89

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.73 ¥4.97

60.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.49 ¥3.34

81.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.56 ¥3.76

60.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.97 ¥20.10

-24.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$9.70 ¥65.6

13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$0.72 ¥4.86

58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.46 ¥9.85

63.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.27 ¥1.82

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$16.60 ¥112

152.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.35 ¥9.13

4.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.25 ¥1.68

660.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$6.38 ¥43.12

21.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.16 ¥7.87

-12.93%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$18.5K ¥124.9K

-4.82%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$14.2K ¥96.1K

86.48%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$84.7 ¥573

-1.17%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$7.78 ¥52.6

21.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$11.90 ¥80.5

102.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$41.19 ¥279

-38.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$13.85 ¥93.6

38.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$5.52 ¥37.33

-25.72%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$315 ¥2,127

-0.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$7,674 ¥51.9K

-21.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$53.3 ¥360

8.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$30.64 ¥207

6.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$80.2 ¥542

24.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$103 ¥694

5.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$281 ¥1,899

71.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$184 ¥1,247

105.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$601 ¥4,061

39.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$356 ¥2,408

103.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$3,388 ¥22.9K

-16.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,832 ¥12.4K

-33.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$451 ¥3,049

19.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.17

222.06%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Jiujiang: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $281 in Jiujiang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 20% 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 Jiujiang. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $197, 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 Jiujiang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiujiang wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jiujiang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Medellin pays 20% more on average, 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: $482 in Medellin versus $281 in Jiujiang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Jiujiang – 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 $1,017 per month in Medellin versus $757 in Jiujiang – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $757 in Jiujiang versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jiujiang but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jiujiang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jiujiang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $757 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jiujiang hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Jiujiang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.