Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Putian

For one person, living is cheaper in Putian: $518 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Putian
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Putian Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Putian

🇨🇳 China

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Putian

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $518 in Putian, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Putian $518

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $854 in Putian, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Putian $854

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,190 in Putian, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Putian $1,190

Medellin costs about 214% more than Putian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Putian is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$2.21 ¥14.79

275.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$23.26 ¥156

101.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$5.17 ¥34.57

78.72%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.44 ¥16.32

25.00%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.43 ¥2.88

318.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.29 ¥1.92

375.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$0.77 ¥5.16

320.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$2.93 ¥19.58

89.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.47 ¥9.82

2.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$2.25 ¥15.07

5.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$0.93 ¥6.19

82.80%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.58 ¥10.58

87.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$11.73 ¥78.4

-12.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$2.43 ¥16.22

300.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$12.18 ¥81.4

14.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.55 ¥17.03

61.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.42 ¥9.49

7.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.70 ¥11.34

30.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.98 ¥13.25

14.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.02 ¥6.79

95.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.77 ¥11.86

-5.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.93 ¥6.19

26.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.50 ¥3.36

148.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$3.04 ¥20.31

27.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$11.18 ¥74.8

23.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$0.83 ¥5.58

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.71 ¥11.44

40.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.74 ¥4.92

67.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$22.38 ¥150

249.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.52 ¥10.16

-15.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.29 ¥1.94

641.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$7.02 ¥46.94

19.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.31 ¥8.76

3.05%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$19.4K ¥129.8K

79.07%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$17.8K ¥118.8K

95.20%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$44.03 ¥294

278.49%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$8.87 ¥59.3

53.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$10.55 ¥70.6

176.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$10.08 ¥67.4

-30.85%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$492 ¥3,286

60.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$24.5K ¥163.6K

-63.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$39.10 ¥261

124.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$29.11 ¥195

99.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$103 ¥691

34.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$85.7 ¥573

15.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$2,637 ¥17.6K

51.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,115 ¥7,452

52.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$480 ¥3,211

38.11%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Putian: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Putian

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Putian

$215 41.6% 27.7% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Putian

$63 12.3% 69.7% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Putian

$116 22.4% 33% $57

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Putian

$75 14.5% 56% $96

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Putian

$28 5.5% 70.3% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Putian

$20 * 3.9% 65.8% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 38% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $23.00 in Putian. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $215 – making Putian the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Putian

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

11:09 11:09 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,954,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 23, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Putian 16,150 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Putian

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 Putian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 214%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $777 in Putian. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $23.00 in Putian. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $518 in Putian. That's a gap of about 214%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Putian, where all-in costs run around $518, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Putian it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Putian – 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 Putian. 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.