Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shaoxing

For one person, living is cheaper in Shaoxing: $751 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Shaoxing
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Shaoxing Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Shaoxing

🇨🇳 China

$751

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Shaoxing

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $751 in Shaoxing, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Shaoxing $751

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,204 in Shaoxing, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Shaoxing $1,204

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,657 in Shaoxing, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Shaoxing $1,657

Medellin costs about 116% more than Shaoxing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Shaoxing is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.1K

$3.72 ¥24.81

123.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 147.5K

$22.22 ¥148

111.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.1K

$5.31 ¥35.43

74.01%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,597

$2.58 ¥17.20

18.22%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.62 ¥4.15

190.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,346

$0.36 ¥2.38

283.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.2K

$1.15 ¥7.66

181.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.5K

$2.19 ¥14.64

153.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,721

$1.80 ¥11.97

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,446

$1.96 ¥13.05

20.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,333

$0.75 ¥4.99

126.67%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,302

$1.73 ¥11.55

71.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.1K

$11.67 ¥77.8

-12.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.6K

$3.31 ¥22.05

194.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 43.7K

$10.59 ¥70.6

31.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.0K

$1.78 ¥11.90

132.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,799

$1.72 ¥11.50

-11.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 6,994

$1.72 ¥11.46

29.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,135

$1.09 ¥7.28

108.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,259

$0.83 ¥5.51

139.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,242

$0.91 ¥6.07

83.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,711

$0.65 ¥4.36

81.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,887

$0.58 ¥3.87

113.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.2K

$3.44 ¥22.92

12.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.3K

$10.61 ¥70.8

29.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,213

$0.77 ¥5.13

115.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,553

$1.62 ¥10.81

48.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.23 ¥1.54

439.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 245.9K

$19.86 ¥133

293.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,011

$1.99 ¥13.25

-35.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,747

$0.43 ¥2.87

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.3K

$9.04 ¥60.3

-7.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,252

$1.34 ¥8.93

0.75%

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

$34.8K COP 109.3M

$19.5K ¥129.8K

78.65%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$18.0K ¥120.4K

92.22%

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

$167 COP 524.1K

$47.33 ¥316

252.10%

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

$13.62 COP 42.8K

$7.90 ¥52.7

72.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 91.6K

$9.14 ¥61.0

218.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 141.8K

$15.57 ¥104

189.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.0K

$6.79 ¥45.32

153.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 21.9K

$6.82 ¥45.51

2.20%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$844 ¥5,630

-6.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.4M

$24.9K ¥166.3K

-63.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 276.1K

$40.55 ¥270

116.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 182.9K

$31.99 ¥213

81.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 437.1K

$76.9 ¥513

80.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 310.9K

$106 ¥708

-6.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.2M

$434 ¥2,898

136.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 1.9M

$222 ¥1,484

178.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 5.9M

$596 ¥3,977

215.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$450 ¥3,000

124.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.5M

$6,407 ¥42.7K

-37.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$3,558 ¥23.7K

-52.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$901 ¥6,009

-26.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.36

225.60%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shaoxing: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Shaoxing

$222 29.6% 64.1% $397

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Shaoxing

$205 27.2% 31.3% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Shaoxing

$64 8.6% 69.3% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Shaoxing

$115 15.3% 33.4% $58

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Shaoxing

$91 12.1% 46.9% $80

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Shaoxing

$25 3.3% 73.8% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Shaoxing

$29 3.9% 50.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $434 in Shaoxing. 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 36% higher in Shaoxing, 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 $47 in Medellin versus $22 in Shaoxing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $205 – making Shaoxing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Shaoxing

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

01:17 1:17 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

4,912,239

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 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 25, 2026: 1 USD = 3,145 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.47 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Shaoxing 15,630 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

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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 Shaoxing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 116%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,127 in Shaoxing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shaoxing, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $434 there versus $1,028 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $22 in Shaoxing. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $751 in Shaoxing. That’s a gap of about 116%.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Shaoxing, where all-in costs run around $751, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Shaoxing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $751 in Shaoxing to $1,625 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Shaoxing is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 116% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.