Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lianyungang

For one person, living is cheaper in Lianyungang: $761 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Lianyungang
Learn more

Lianyungang Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Lianyungang

🇨🇳 China

$761

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lianyungang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Lianyungang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $761 in Lianyungang.

Medellin $1,639
Lianyungang $761

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,155 in Lianyungang.

Medellin $2,413
Lianyungang $1,155

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,549 in Lianyungang.

Medellin $3,186
Lianyungang $1,549

Living in Medellin is roughly 115% more expensive than in Lianyungang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Lianyungang is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$3.08 ¥20.53

162.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$18.28 ¥122

157.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.54 ¥30.22

109.25%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$2.73 ¥18.18

10.26%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.51 ¥3.39

252.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.32 ¥2.14

340.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.11 ¥7.39

186.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$2.69 ¥17.90

113.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.92 ¥12.76

-21.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$1.41 ¥9.37

68.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$1.03 ¥6.86

71.84%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$1.34 ¥8.92

115.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$16.35 ¥109

-37.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$4.43 ¥29.47

122.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$10.00 ¥66.6

39.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$1.18 ¥7.84

236.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$0.63 ¥4.17

146.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$0.92 ¥6.12

136.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$0.47 ¥3.14

363.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.73 ¥4.85

168.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$0.46 ¥3.06

245.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$0.29 ¥1.91

296.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.44 ¥2.92

181.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$3.83 ¥25.51

3.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$14.76 ¥98.2

-7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$1.08 ¥7.18

53.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$1.59 ¥10.55

42.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.29 ¥1.91

303.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$15.68 ¥104

393.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$1.47 ¥9.81

-13.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$0.45 ¥2.99

355.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$8.79 ¥58.5

-2.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.30 ¥8.66

3.85%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$19.2K ¥128.0K

77.09%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$17.7K ¥118.0K

95.59%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$70.2 ¥467

141.56%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$6.73 ¥44.76

101.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$7.82 ¥52.0

258.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$38.74 ¥258

12.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$13.77 ¥91.6

24.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$6.46 ¥42.98

6.97%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$368 ¥2,450

116.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$17.5K ¥116.7K

-48.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$36.97 ¥246

129.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$36.62 ¥244

58.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$75.4 ¥502

79.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$88.9 ¥592

10.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$283 ¥1,883

326.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$205 ¥1,363

213.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$609 ¥4,056

232.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$334 ¥2,226

202.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$3,313 ¥22.0K

25.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$2,167 ¥14.4K

-11.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$596 ¥3,969

10.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.37

224.63%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lianyungang: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Lianyungang

$205 26.9% 68.1% $437

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Lianyungang

$207 27.2% 30.2% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Lianyungang

$85 11.1% 59.9% $127

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Lianyungang

$85 11.2% 49.7% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Lianyungang

$107 14.1% 36.7% $62

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Lianyungang

$21 2.7% 78% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Lianyungang

$52 6.8% 10.2% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $283 in Lianyungang. 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: $47 in Medellin vs $18 in Lianyungang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $207 per month, with Lianyungang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Lianyungang

🕒 Local time

21:53 9:53 PM

10:53 10:53 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

4,393,914

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Lianyungang 15,210 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Lianyungang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Lianyungang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lianyungang wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lianyungang 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $283 in Lianyungang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lianyungang runs roughly 80% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $368 in Lianyungang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Lianyungang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.