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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $767 in Jiujiang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,241 in Jiujiang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,715 in Jiujiang.

Living in Medellin is roughly 114% more expensive than in Jiujiang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Jiujiang is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.49 ¥16.66

222.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$22.25 ¥149

117.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$4.35 ¥29.13

116.55%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.61 ¥17.48

12.64%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.50 ¥3.33

272.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.29 ¥1.96

403.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.07 ¥7.17

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.05 ¥13.73

178.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.62 ¥10.82

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.97 ¥13.21

21.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.77 ¥5.14

120.78%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.84 ¥12.32

57.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$13.99 ¥93.7

-28.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.90 ¥32.83

103.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$11.67 ¥78.2

21.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.22 ¥14.87

79.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.73 ¥11.59

-8.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.63 ¥10.92

31.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.54 ¥10.32

49.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.82 ¥5.46

143.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.00 ¥6.73

51.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.78 ¥5.22

53.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.66 ¥4.41

93.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.93 ¥19.60

31.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$11.80 ¥79.0

18.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.91 ¥6.08

87.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.91 ¥12.81

43.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.29 ¥1.92

331.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$19.70 ¥132

295.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.16 ¥7.78

12.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.35 ¥2.36

520.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$3.63 ¥24.31

128.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.29 ¥8.64

5.43%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$19.1K ¥127.9K

43.87%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$16.4K ¥109.7K

123.00%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$48.73 ¥326

246.23%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$9.27 ¥62.1

46.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$12.10 ¥81.1

134.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$36.63 ¥245

24.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$14.66 ¥98.2

17.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.27 ¥42.01

6.06%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$241 ¥1,613

233.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,551 ¥57.3K

7.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$90.0 ¥602

-2.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$33.22 ¥222

78.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$62.4 ¥418

122.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$98.6 ¥660

3.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$327 ¥2,188

227.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$169 ¥1,130

287.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$679 ¥4,547

183.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$389 ¥2,604

169.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$3,482 ¥23.3K

18.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$2,052 ¥13.7K

-17.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$597 ¥4,000

9.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.15

247.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Jiujiang: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $327 in Jiujiang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 10% 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 Jiujiang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $231 per month, with Jiujiang 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 Jiujiang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiujiang wins on cost – living expenses run 114% 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.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $327 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 $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 $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $767 in Jiujiang – a 114% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $767 in Jiujiang versus $1,641 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 $767 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 114% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.