Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Quanzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Quanzhou: $815 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Quanzhou
Learn more

Quanzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Quanzhou

🇨🇳 China

$815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Quanzhou

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $815 in Quanzhou, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Quanzhou $815

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,204 in Quanzhou, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Quanzhou $1,204

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,593 in Quanzhou, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Quanzhou $1,593

Medellin costs about 98% more than Quanzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Quanzhou is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$2.20 ¥14.68

260.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.7K

$30.02 ¥201

53.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.2K

$6.48 ¥43.32

46.60%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,897

$3.26 ¥21.80

-4.60%

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

$1.83 COP 5,818

$0.96 ¥6.39

90.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,374

$0.27 ¥1.79

411.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,702

$2.95 ¥19.68

3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$1.75 ¥11.71

214.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,614

$1.45 ¥9.71

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,519

$0.86 ¥5.73

174.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,345

$0.93 ¥6.23

80.65%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,106

$1.53 ¥10.26

86.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.4K

$7.68 ¥51.3

32.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.3K

$2.30 ¥15.35

314.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.7K

$5.12 ¥34.22

174.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.46 ¥9.73

178.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,757

$0.99 ¥6.61

51.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,913

$0.72 ¥4.80

201.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,333

$1.08 ¥7.20

113.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,132

$0.46 ¥3.10

319.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,212

$1.05 ¥6.99

56.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,582

$0.16 ¥1.09

606.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,966

$0.48 ¥3.17

160.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$3.15 ¥21.06

26.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.5K

$7.67 ¥51.2

74.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,400

$0.88 ¥5.91

93.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,549

$1.38 ¥9.19

71.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,839

$0.31 ¥2.07

290.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.3K

$23.44 ¥157

226.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,193

$1.22 ¥8.18

8.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,795

$0.35 ¥2.34

511.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.9K

$9.01 ¥60.2

-5.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,127

$1.25 ¥8.35

4.00%

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

$28.0K COP 89.0M

$17.6K ¥117.5K

59.11%

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

$35.4K COP 112.6M

$15.7K ¥104.8K

125.69%

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

$172 COP 547.3K

$52.8 ¥353

226.18%

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

$13.37 COP 42.5K

$7.95 ¥53.1

68.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.4K

$12.15 ¥81.2

136.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.9K

$54.4 ¥363

-16.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.2K

$18.63 ¥124

-8.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$5.83 ¥38.92

7.72%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$514 ¥3,435

49.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

$11.8K ¥78.9K

-23.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.8K

$20.64 ¥138

318.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.7K

$34.07 ¥228

67.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 434.3K

$92.7 ¥619

47.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 311.4K

$96.5 ¥645

1.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

$277 ¥1,849

281.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$303 ¥2,025

103.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$503 ¥3,359

276.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

$410 ¥2,741

149.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$3,004 ¥20.1K

35.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$2,008 ¥13.4K

-16.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$829 ¥5,540

-21.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.15

247.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Quanzhou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Quanzhou

$303 37.2% 50.8% $313

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Quanzhou

$137 16.8% 53.6% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Quanzhou

$73 8.9% 66% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Quanzhou

$110 13.5% 35.5% $60

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Quanzhou

$99 12.2% 41% $69

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Quanzhou

$28 3.4% 70.4% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Quanzhou

$66 8.1% 14.3% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $277 in Quanzhou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 27% higher in Quanzhou, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $30.00 in Quanzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $137 – making Quanzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Quanzhou

🕒 Local time

02:41 2:41 AM

15:41 3:41 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

8,128,530

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,561 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Quanzhou 16,220 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Quanzhou

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 Quanzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 98%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,223 in Quanzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quanzhou, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $30.00 in Quanzhou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $815 in Quanzhou. That's a gap of about 98%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Quanzhou, where all-in costs run around $815, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Quanzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quanzhou – 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 Quanzhou. 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.