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: $1,014 in Medellin versus $773 in Jiujiang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Medellin versus $1,202 in Jiujiang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Medellin versus $1,632 in Jiujiang.

Living in Medellin is roughly 31% more expensive than Jiujiang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Jiujiang 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.1K

$2.87 ¥19.62

113.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.0K

$20.48 ¥140

61.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$5.45 ¥37.20

34.31%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,973

$2.18 ¥14.87

-23.85%

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

$1.10 COP 3,978

$0.38 ¥2.61

189.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,816

$0.27 ¥1.84

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,174

$0.81 ¥5.55

111.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.4K

$2.70 ¥18.43

17.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,003

$1.79 ¥12.23

-37.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,709

$1.38 ¥9.45

-5.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,969

$0.96 ¥6.56

43.75%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 7,992

$1.40 ¥9.54

58.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.6K

$12.51 ¥85.4

-65.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$3.47 ¥23.73

67.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.3K

$12.77 ¥87.3

-29.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,146

$2.00 ¥13.68

13.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,014

$1.08 ¥7.38

2.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,273

$1.19 ¥8.11

22.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,918

$0.94 ¥6.43

45.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,000

$0.74 ¥5.02

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,190

$0.73 ¥4.98

58.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,204

$0.53 ¥3.64

67.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,117

$0.52 ¥3.53

67.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,476

$3.10 ¥21.20

-24.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.1K

$9.45 ¥64.6

14.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,321

$0.68 ¥4.62

76.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,927

$1.54 ¥10.55

61.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,836

$0.29 ¥1.99

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 146.8K

$16.69 ¥114

144.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,125

$1.41 ¥9.62

0.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,885

$0.27 ¥1.86

607.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$6.21 ¥42.43

23.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,482

$1.14 ¥7.75

-14.91%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$18.3K ¥124.7K

-0.85%

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

$26.3K COP 94.8M

$14.2K ¥96.9K

85.43%

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

$81.3 COP 292.9K

$84.2 ¥575

-3.47%

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

$9.63 COP 34.7K

$7.93 ¥54.2

21.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 87.8K

$11.90 ¥81.3

104.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.7K

$42.11 ¥288

-38.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.1K

$13.84 ¥94.6

36.71%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$5.72 ¥39.07

-31.99%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$326 ¥2,224

-6.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$7,763 ¥53.0K

-23.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.4K

$52.7 ¥360

11.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.0K

$30.71 ¥210

5.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 366.5K

$81.0 ¥553

25.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$105 ¥715

3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$279 ¥1,908

69.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$187 ¥1,277

98.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$590 ¥4,032

43.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$354 ¥2,417

102.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.3M

$3,041 ¥20.8K

-5.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

$1,819 ¥12.4K

-24.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 2.0M

$447 ¥3,054

21.12%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Jiujiang: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Medellin and $279 in Jiujiang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 21% 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 in Medellin vs $20 in Jiujiang. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $198, 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 31% 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 21% 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: $474 in Medellin versus $279 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 $20.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,014 per month in Medellin versus $773 in Jiujiang – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $773 in Jiujiang versus $1,014 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 $773 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 31% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.