Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Qinhuangdao Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Qinhuangdao

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,018 per month in Medellin vs $725 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,609 per month in Medellin vs $1,135 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,200 per month in Medellin vs $1,544 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

Medellin costs about 40% more than Qinhuangdao, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Qinhuangdao are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Qinhuangdao 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.0K

$2.80 ¥18.97

111.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.0K

$21.93 ¥148

51.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.8K

$5.00 ¥33.85

42.40%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,458

$3.04 ¥20.57

-43.75%

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

$1.05 COP 3,356

$0.47 ¥3.18

123.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,311

$0.29 ¥1.97

148.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,502

$0.88 ¥5.98

95.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.06 ¥13.95

53.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,408

$1.87 ¥12.64

-43.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,192

$1.63 ¥11.01

-19.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,256

$0.91 ¥6.13

46.15%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,298

$1.52 ¥10.31

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.1K

$12.82 ¥86.8

-65.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 18.9K

$3.12 ¥21.12

89.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.7K

$10.32 ¥69.8

-16.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,504

$1.81 ¥12.23

29.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,527

$1.22 ¥8.24

-9.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,698

$1.54 ¥10.41

-4.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,415

$1.14 ¥7.71

21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,754

$0.75 ¥5.09

56.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,744

$0.95 ¥6.45

23.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,890

$0.57 ¥3.84

57.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,693

$0.51 ¥3.43

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,449

$3.08 ¥20.82

-24.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.1K

$10.62 ¥71.9

12.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,673

$0.78 ¥5.28

47.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,749

$1.59 ¥10.73

52.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,687

$0.27 ¥1.82

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

$16.61 ¥112

145.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,517

$1.43 ¥9.68

-1.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,127

$0.32 ¥2.20

496.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.0K

$6.66 ¥45.10

17.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,020

$1.13 ¥7.68

-16.81%

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

$17.8K COP 57.0M

$19.8K ¥133.9K

-9.95%

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

$27.1K COP 86.7M

$17.1K ¥115.5K

58.62%

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

$83.3 COP 266.5K

$44.27 ¥300

88.07%

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

$9.66 COP 30.9K

$9.55 ¥64.6

1.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.5K

$11.58 ¥78.4

109.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 80.7K

$41.46 ¥281

-39.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 61.9K

$13.96 ¥94.5

38.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$5.94 ¥40.22

-31.48%

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

$307 COP 981.2K

$333 ¥2,256

-8.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.1M

$17.1K ¥115.7K

-65.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.9K

$43.29 ¥293

38.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.5K

$30.89 ¥209

5.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 323.5K

$73.0 ¥494

38.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 345.7K

$70.5 ¥477

53.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$273 ¥1,848

74.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$191 ¥1,293

98.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$580 ¥3,925

40.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$366 ¥2,473

93.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

$3,051 ¥20.6K

4.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

$2,037 ¥13.8K

-28.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.89

245.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Last update for Qinhuangdao: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $273 in Qinhuangdao. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $22.00 in Qinhuangdao. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Medellin vs $199 in Qinhuangdao – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Qinhuangdao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 40%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,527 per month in Medellin and $1,088 in Qinhuangdao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qinhuangdao, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $22.00 in Qinhuangdao. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,018 in Medellin and $725 in Qinhuangdao. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Qinhuangdao, where all-in costs run around $725, than in Medellin at $1,018. In Qinhuangdao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qinhuangdao – 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 Qinhuangdao. 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.