Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maoming

For one person, living is cheaper in Maoming: $705 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Maoming
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Maoming Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Maoming

🇨🇳 China

$705

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Maoming

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 Maoming actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $705 in Maoming, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Maoming $705

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,117 in Maoming, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Maoming $1,117

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,529 in Maoming, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Maoming $1,529

Medellin costs about 132% more than Maoming, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Maoming is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$2.70 ¥17.95

199.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$23.35 ¥155

101.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$4.11 ¥27.32

131.14%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.69 ¥17.90

11.90%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.50 ¥3.33

260.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.29 ¥1.90

386.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$1.14 ¥7.60

178.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$2.08 ¥13.85

176.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.76 ¥11.72

-14.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.82 ¥12.12

30.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$0.93 ¥6.17

90.32%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$1.65 ¥10.96

75.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$13.47 ¥89.6

-24.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$3.41 ¥22.72

189.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$11.29 ¥75.1

23.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.82 ¥12.10

118.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.27 ¥8.46

22.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$1.47 ¥9.78

48.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$1.31 ¥8.75

66.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.69 ¥4.61

184.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.97 ¥6.43

63.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.57 ¥3.81

101.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.55 ¥3.68

125.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.98 ¥26.49

-0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$11.31 ¥75.2

20.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$0.85 ¥5.63

95.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.64 ¥10.94

37.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.29 ¥1.92

303.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$16.63 ¥111

365.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$1.47 ¥9.78

-13.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.39 ¥2.59

425.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$7.02 ¥46.71

21.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.33 ¥8.83

1.50%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$19.6K ¥130.5K

73.74%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$17.9K ¥119.1K

93.70%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$56.5 ¥376

200.53%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$8.91 ¥59.3

52.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$10.69 ¥71.1

162.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$33.49 ¥223

30.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$15.25 ¥102

12.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.22 ¥41.41

11.09%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$417 ¥2,775

91.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$16.0K ¥106.6K

-43.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$38.73 ¥258

118.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$33.30 ¥222

74.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$65.0 ¥433

107.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$81.2 ¥540

20.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$287 ¥1,912

320.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$175 ¥1,165

266.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$608 ¥4,046

233.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$319 ¥2,124

216.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$3,627 ¥24.1K

14.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$2,055 ¥13.7K

-7.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,051 ¥6,992

-37.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.36

225.60%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Maoming: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Maoming

$175 24.8% 72.7% $466

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Maoming

$210 29.7% 29.4% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Maoming

$76 10.8% 64% $135

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Maoming

$79 11.2% 53.3% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Maoming

$98 13.9% 41.9% $71

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Maoming

$21 3% 77.3% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Maoming

$46 6.5% 20.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $287 in Maoming. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 60% higher in Maoming, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $23 in Maoming. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $210 – making Maoming the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Maoming

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 PM

03:59 3:59 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,217,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Maoming 16,830 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Maoming

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 Maoming: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 132%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,058 in Maoming. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maoming, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $287 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $23 in Maoming. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Maoming, where all-in costs run around $705, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Maoming it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maoming – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Maoming is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 57% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.