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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $704 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,138 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,572 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

Medellin costs about 133% more than Qinhuangdao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Qinhuangdao is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.75 ¥18.46

192.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.1K

$21.54 ¥144

124.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.1K

$4.90 ¥32.82

92.24%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,070

$3.09 ¥20.68

-4.85%

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

$1.86 COP 5,754

$0.43 ¥2.90

332.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,494

$0.27 ¥1.80

440.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,915

$0.88 ¥5.92

264.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.03 ¥13.62

181.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,443

$1.79 ¥12.02

-19.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,413

$1.61 ¥10.80

49.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,245

$0.95 ¥6.33

78.95%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,925

$1.56 ¥10.43

85.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.1K

$13.07 ¥87.6

-23.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.8K

$3.15 ¥21.12

216.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.9K

$10.34 ¥69.3

37.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.87 ¥12.51

112.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,894

$1.25 ¥8.39

26.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,646

$1.48 ¥9.91

45.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,101

$1.10 ¥7.34

109.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,189

$0.75 ¥5.04

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,661

$0.89 ¥5.99

69.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,713

$0.61 ¥4.06

96.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,959

$0.56 ¥3.72

128.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.11 ¥20.87

23.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.3K

$10.40 ¥69.7

34.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,273

$0.74 ¥4.95

131.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,468

$1.66 ¥11.15

65.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,847

$0.29 ¥1.95

331.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 240.5K

$16.39 ¥110

375.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,030

$1.38 ¥9.23

-5.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,702

$0.32 ¥2.17

578.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.6K

$6.82 ¥45.71

21.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,186

$1.17 ¥7.84

16.24%

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

$27.5K COP 84.8M

$19.7K ¥132.1K

39.40%

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

$36.5K COP 112.8M

$17.3K ¥116.3K

110.63%

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

$169 COP 521.0K

$45.36 ¥304

271.96%

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

$13.57 COP 41.9K

$9.71 ¥65.1

39.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.5K

$11.92 ¥79.9

137.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.1K

$42.40 ¥284

7.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.2K

$13.91 ¥93.2

23.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.03 ¥40.43

10.28%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$328 ¥2,201

144.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.4M

$16.7K ¥111.8K

-44.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.7K

$43.14 ¥289

102.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 183.3K

$29.91 ¥200

98.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 428.9K

$70.7 ¥474

96.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 315.1K

$72.7 ¥487

40.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$278 ¥1,862

285.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$195 ¥1,304

235.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$585 ¥3,917

229.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$361 ¥2,417

190.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$3,087 ¥20.7K

33.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$2,000 ¥13.4K

-15.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.89

181.23%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Qinhuangdao: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $278 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $22.00 in Qinhuangdao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $199 – making Qinhuangdao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 133%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,056 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 $48.00 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 $1,641 in Medellin and $704 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 $704, than in Medellin at $1,641. 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.