Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Quang Ngai

For one person, living is cheaper in Quang Ngai: $484 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Quang Ngai
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Quang Ngai Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Quang Ngai

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Quang Ngai

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $484 in Quang Ngai, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Quang Ngai $484

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $751 in Quang Ngai, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Quang Ngai $751

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,019 in Quang Ngai, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Quang Ngai $1,019

Medellin costs about 250% more than Quang Ngai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Quang Ngai is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$1.00 ₫25.8K

734.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$10.32 ₫265.9K

350.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$4.78 ₫123.2K

98.12%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$1.29 ₫33.1K

142.64%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$0.32 ₫8,209

453.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$0.17 ₫4,397

735.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.39 ₫35.7K

126.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$1.48 ₫38.0K

285.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$1.59 ₫40.9K

-3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$0.41 ₫10.5K

458.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$0.80 ₫20.6K

142.50%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$1.49 ₫38.4K

106.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$7.53 ₫194.0K

32.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$3.91 ₫100.8K

167.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$6.36 ₫163.8K

119.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.90 ₫49.0K

113.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$0.56 ₫14.5K

173.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$1.35 ₫34.8K

55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$1.35 ₫34.7K

69.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$1.20 ₫30.9K

75.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$0.95 ₫24.5K

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$0.32 ₫8,298

265.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$0.49 ₫12.5K

222.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$1.28 ₫33.1K

205.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$5.71 ₫147.0K

145.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

$0.58 ₫15.0K

203.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

$0.86 ₫22.1K

215.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$0.37 ₫9,416

218.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$5.72 ₫147.3K

1233.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

$0.60 ₫15.5K

201.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

$0.38 ₫9,783

460.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$1.93 ₫49.6K

321.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$0.80 ₫20.5K

60.00%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$30.8K ₫792.6M

11.93%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$28.4K ₫731.1M

20.28%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$66.1 ₫1.7M

169.04%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$6.49 ₫167.1K

114.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$7.65 ₫197.1K

301.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$9.59 ₫247.0K

337.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$4.75 ₫122.3K

253.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$3.47 ₫89.4K

115.27%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$136 ₫3.5M

481.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$3,851 ₫99.2M

219.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$7.56 ₫194.7K

1042.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$7.66 ₫197.4K

673.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$102 ₫2.6M

35.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$26.65 ₫686.5K

270.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$180 ₫4.6M

644.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$119 ₫3.1M

460.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$382 ₫9.8M

417.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$247 ₫6.4M

317.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$219 ₫5.6M

194.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

56.29%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Quang Ngai: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Quang Ngai

$119 24.6% 82.2% $548

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Quang Ngai

$144 29.8% 53.1% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Quang Ngai

$80 16.6% 63.9% $142

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Quang Ngai

$50 10.3% 71.3% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Quang Ngai

$65 13.4% 62.3% $107

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Quang Ngai

$9.7 2% 89.6% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Quang Ngai

$17 3.4% 70.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $180 in Quang Ngai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 2.9 times higher, 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 in Medellin versus $10 in Quang Ngai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $144 – making Quang Ngai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇳 Quang Ngai

🕒 Local time

18:43 6:43 PM

06:43 6:43 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

112,384

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 29,000 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Quang Ngai 17,590 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Quang Ngai

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 Quang Ngai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 250%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $726 in Quang Ngai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quang Ngai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $180 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $10 in Quang Ngai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $484 in Quang Ngai. That makes Quang Ngai about 71% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Quang Ngai, where all-in costs run around $484, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Quang Ngai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quang Ngai – 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 Quang Ngai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.