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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Medellin vs $710 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,596 per month in Medellin vs $1,121 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,178 per month in Medellin vs $1,532 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

Medellin costs about 43% more than Qinhuangdao, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Qinhuangdao are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 25% lower, Qinhuangdao 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.1K

$2.76 ¥18.88

122.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.0K

$21.40 ¥146

54.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$4.80 ¥32.81

52.50%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,973

$3.10 ¥21.18

-46.45%

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

$1.10 COP 3,978

$0.46 ¥3.14

139.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,816

$0.29 ¥1.99

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,174

$0.87 ¥5.92

96.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.4K

$2.04 ¥13.93

55.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,003

$1.85 ¥12.63

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,709

$1.61 ¥11.01

-18.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,969

$0.91 ¥6.23

51.65%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 7,992

$1.60 ¥10.94

38.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.6K

$12.69 ¥86.7

-65.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$3.25 ¥22.19

78.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.3K

$10.39 ¥71.0

-13.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,146

$1.85 ¥12.64

22.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,014

$1.20 ¥8.16

-7.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,273

$1.48 ¥10.08

-1.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,918

$1.13 ¥7.75

21.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,000

$0.70 ¥4.81

58.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,190

$0.96 ¥6.56

20.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,204

$0.60 ¥4.13

48.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,117

$0.51 ¥3.49

70.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,476

$3.05 ¥20.82

-22.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.1K

$10.63 ¥72.6

2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,321

$0.80 ¥5.44

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,927

$1.66 ¥11.36

49.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,836

$0.29 ¥1.98

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 146.8K

$16.54 ¥113

146.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,125

$1.36 ¥9.29

4.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,885

$0.32 ¥2.22

496.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$6.65 ¥45.42

15.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,482

$1.12 ¥7.67

-13.39%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$19.0K ¥130.0K

-4.94%

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

$26.3K COP 94.8M

$17.6K ¥120.0K

49.80%

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

$81.3 COP 292.9K

$45.98 ¥314

76.84%

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

$9.63 COP 34.7K

$10.01 ¥68.4

-3.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 87.8K

$11.87 ¥81.1

105.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.7K

$42.20 ¥288

-38.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.1K

$13.85 ¥94.6

36.61%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$6.06 ¥41.36

-35.81%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$332 ¥2,267

-8.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$16.6K ¥113.5K

-64.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.4K

$43.79 ¥299

34.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.0K

$30.93 ¥211

5.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 366.5K

$71.9 ¥491

41.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$72.0 ¥491

50.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$276 ¥1,882

72.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$192 ¥1,309

93.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$593 ¥4,050

43.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$354 ¥2,418

102.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.3M

$3,072 ¥21.0K

-6.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

$2,018 ¥13.8K

-31.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Qinhuangdao: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $474 in Medellin versus $276 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 in Medellin versus $21 in Qinhuangdao. Groceries tell a different story – $190 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 43%, 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 $1,522 per month in Medellin and $1,066 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 $21.00 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 $1,014 in Medellin and $710 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 $710, than in Medellin at $1,014. 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.