Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nanjing

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanjing: $841 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Nanjing
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Nanjing Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Nanjing

🇨🇳 China

$841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Nanjing

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $841 in Nanjing, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Nanjing $841

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,339 in Nanjing, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Nanjing $1,339

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $1,837 in Nanjing, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Nanjing $1,837

Medellin costs about 89% more than Nanjing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Nanjing is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$3.67 ¥24.54

118.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$22.21 ¥148

109.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$4.97 ¥33.22

89.74%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$3.01 ¥20.12

-3.32%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$0.50 ¥3.31

250.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$0.27 ¥1.81

388.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$1.45 ¥9.66

115.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$2.29 ¥15.28

142.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$2.16 ¥14.46

-34.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$2.07 ¥13.84

17.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$0.91 ¥6.07

79.12%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$1.35 ¥9.02

108.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$10.64 ¥71.1

-8.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$3.02 ¥20.20

208.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$8.97 ¥59.9

50.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$2.09 ¥13.95

91.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.28 ¥8.58

15.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$1.77 ¥11.86

19.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$1.07 ¥7.17

110.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$0.91 ¥6.08

109.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$0.90 ¥6.05

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$0.93 ¥6.24

23.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.52 ¥3.45

142.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$3.75 ¥25.05

1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$13.34 ¥89.2

-1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$1.01 ¥6.72

58.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$1.56 ¥10.45

44.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$0.31 ¥2.08

277.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$29.72 ¥199

152.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$1.75 ¥11.71

-27.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$0.41 ¥2.77

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$8.91 ¥59.6

-7.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.37 ¥9.13

-7.30%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$19.1K ¥127.8K

39.98%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$16.6K ¥110.6K

107.87%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$53.6 ¥358

202.74%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$7.59 ¥50.7

72.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$7.28 ¥48.66

285.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$28.49 ¥190

55.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$33.70 ¥225

-51.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$5.86 ¥39.15

3.92%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$1,459 ¥9,753

-47.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$22.5K ¥150.7K

-60.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$43.40 ¥290

95.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$33.88 ¥226

69.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$65.7 ¥439

100.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$86.9 ¥581

10.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$529 ¥3,535

94.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$295 ¥1,974

104.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$1,115 ¥7,452

61.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$557 ¥3,722

78.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$5,013 ¥33.5K

-21.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$3,140 ¥21.0K

-47.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$1,419 ¥9,485

-55.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.42

219.88%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nanjing: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Nanjing

$295 35.1% 51.1% $309

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Nanjing

$205 24.4% 28.8% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Nanjing

$68 8.1% 66.4% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Nanjing

$103 12.3% 37.9% $63

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Nanjing

$95 11.3% 42.7% $71

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Nanjing

$35 4.1% 61.9% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Nanjing

$40 4.8% 28.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $529 in Nanjing. 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 127% higher in Nanjing, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $22.00 in Nanjing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $205 – making Nanjing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Nanjing

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

22:21 10:21 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

9,314,685

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Nanjing 15,490 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Nanjing

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 Nanjing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 89%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,262 in Nanjing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanjing, 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $22.00 in Nanjing. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $841 in Nanjing. That's a gap of about 89%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nanjing, where all-in costs run around $841, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Nanjing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nanjing – 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 Nanjing. 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.