Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nanchang

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanchang: $648 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Nanchang
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Nanchang Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Nanchang

🇨🇳 China

$648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Nanchang

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $648 in Nanchang, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Nanchang $648

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,058 in Nanchang, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Nanchang $1,058

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,467 in Nanchang, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Nanchang $1,467

Medellin costs about 149% more than Nanchang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Nanchang is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$2.35 ¥15.69

237.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.7K

$18.21 ¥122

153.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.2K

$4.81 ¥32.16

97.51%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,897

$2.59 ¥17.28

20.08%

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

$1.83 COP 5,818

$0.44 ¥2.92

315.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,374

$0.27 ¥1.81

411.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,702

$1.31 ¥8.75

132.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$1.89 ¥12.66

191.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,614

$2.05 ¥13.69

-29.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,519

$2.40 ¥16.06

-1.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,345

$0.84 ¥5.64

100.00%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,106

$1.67 ¥11.14

71.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.4K

$13.25 ¥88.6

-23.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.3K

$3.95 ¥26.42

141.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.7K

$11.77 ¥78.6

19.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.99 ¥13.28

104.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,757

$1.08 ¥7.22

38.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,913

$1.91 ¥12.73

13.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,333

$1.81 ¥12.11

27.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,132

$0.91 ¥6.10

112.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,212

$1.13 ¥7.53

45.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,582

$0.61 ¥4.09

85.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,966

$0.43 ¥2.90

190.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$3.07 ¥20.49

29.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.5K

$12.42 ¥83.0

7.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,400

$0.78 ¥5.20

117.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,549

$1.52 ¥10.19

55.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,839

$0.26 ¥1.75

365.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.3K

$14.93 ¥99.7

412.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,193

$1.24 ¥8.26

6.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,795

$0.31 ¥2.08

590.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.9K

$7.29 ¥48.72

16.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,127

$1.25 ¥8.33

4.00%

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

$28.0K COP 89.0M

$19.1K ¥127.6K

46.54%

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

$35.4K COP 112.6M

$17.9K ¥119.3K

98.38%

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

$172 COP 547.3K

$34.93 ¥233

392.67%

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

$13.37 COP 42.5K

$9.27 ¥61.9

44.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.4K

$13.34 ¥89.2

115.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.9K

$42.85 ¥286

5.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.2K

$19.61 ¥131

-13.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$6.42 ¥42.88

-2.18%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$326 ¥2,175

136.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

$16.8K ¥112.1K

-46.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.8K

$37.86 ¥253

128.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.7K

$22.07 ¥147

158.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 434.3K

$87.6 ¥585

55.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 311.4K

$60.7 ¥405

61.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

$223 ¥1,492

372.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$118 ¥791

420.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$451 ¥3,012

319.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

$257 ¥1,717

297.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,008 ¥13.4K

102.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,624 ¥10.9K

3.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$745 ¥4,980

-12.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.46

216.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nanchang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Nanchang

$118 18.3% 80.8% $497

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Nanchang

$227 35% 23% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Nanchang

$58 8.9% 73.1% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Nanchang

$94 14.5% 44.9% $76

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Nanchang

$77 11.9% 54% $91

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Nanchang

$19 2.9% 79.9% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Nanchang

$56 8.6% 3.7% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $223 in Nanchang. 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 14% higher in Nanchang, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $18.00 in Nanchang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $227 – making Nanchang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Nanchang

🕒 Local time

01:54 1:54 AM

14:54 2:54 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

5,042,566

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,561 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Nanchang 15,940 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
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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 Nanchang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 149%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $973 in Nanchang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanchang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $18.00 in Nanchang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $648 in Nanchang. That's a gap of about 149%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanchang, where all-in costs run around $648, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Nanchang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Nanchang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.