Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shenyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenyang: $708 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Shenyang
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Shenyang Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Shenyang

🇨🇳 China

$708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Shenyang

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $708 in Shenyang, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Shenyang $708

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,046 in Shenyang, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Shenyang $1,046

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,384 in Shenyang, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Shenyang $1,384

Medellin costs about 132% more than Shenyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Shenyang is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$2.97 ¥19.72

172.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$22.45 ¥149

109.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$5.40 ¥35.89

75.93%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.50 ¥16.64

20.40%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.47 ¥3.10

282.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.39 ¥2.57

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$0.86 ¥5.72

269.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.89 ¥12.54

204.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$2.00 ¥13.31

-24.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$2.38 ¥15.80

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.08 ¥7.18

63.89%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.07 ¥7.09

170.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$11.93 ¥79.2

17.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.79 ¥11.90

121.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.17 ¥7.75

32.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.47 ¥9.76

48.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.62 ¥4.12

85.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.64 ¥4.28

93.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.69 ¥24.52

7.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$16.70 ¥111

-18.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.68 ¥4.54

144.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.13 ¥7.52

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.29 ¥1.90

303.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$14.87 ¥98.8

420.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.38 ¥9.15

-7.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.31 ¥2.07

561.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$3.06 ¥20.31

179.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.30 ¥8.64

3.85%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$19.4K ¥128.7K

75.86%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$17.5K ¥116.0K

98.67%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$76.2 ¥506

122.73%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$15.50 ¥103

-12.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$14.86 ¥98.7

88.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$22.51 ¥150

94.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$10.68 ¥71.0

60.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.88 ¥39.04

17.52%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$549 ¥3,650

45.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$21.9K ¥145.4K

-58.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$42.33 ¥281

100.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$60.9 ¥405

121.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$70.1 ¥466

39.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$226 ¥1,499

435.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$228 ¥1,514

181.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$538 ¥3,578

276.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$344 ¥2,287

194.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,814 ¥12.1K

129.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,102 ¥7,322

73.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,082 ¥7,190

-39.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.37

150.34%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shenyang: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Shenyang

$228 32.2% 64.5% $414

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Shenyang

$161 * 22.7% 45.9% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Shenyang

$107 15.1% 49.6% $105

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Shenyang

$81 11.5% 52% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Shenyang

$78 * 11% 53.8% $91

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Shenyang

$19 2.7% 79.7% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Shenyang

$34 4.8% 40.4% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $226 in Shenyang. 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 65% higher in Shenyang, 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 Shenyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $161 – making Shenyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Shenyang

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

15:03 3:03 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

9,199,601

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Shenyang 14,330 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Shenyang

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 Shenyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 132%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,062 in Shenyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shenyang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $708 in Shenyang. That makes Shenyang about 57% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Shenyang, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Shenyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shenyang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Shenyang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 57% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.