Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tonghua

For one person, living is cheaper in Tonghua: $643 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Tonghua
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Tonghua Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Tonghua

🇨🇳 China

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tonghua

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $643 in Tonghua, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Tonghua $643

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,038 in Tonghua, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Tonghua $1,038

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,432 in Tonghua, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Tonghua $1,432

Medellin costs about 155% more than Tonghua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tonghua is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$2.27 ¥15.08

256.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$22.26 ¥148

111.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$5.23 ¥34.79

81.64%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$2.21 ¥14.73

36.20%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.43 ¥2.88

318.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.36 ¥2.38

291.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$0.74 ¥4.90

329.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$1.83 ¥12.17

214.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.69 ¥11.24

-10.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$2.16 ¥14.34

10.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$1.03 ¥6.88

71.84%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$1.05 ¥6.99

175.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$13.73 ¥91.4

-25.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$2.97 ¥19.74

232.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$6.92 ¥46.03

102.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$1.01 ¥6.74

293.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.07 ¥7.15

44.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$0.81 ¥5.38

169.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$1.07 ¥7.14

103.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.86 ¥5.71

127.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$1.03 ¥6.85

54.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$0.58 ¥3.87

98.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.65 ¥4.32

90.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$3.72 ¥24.77

6.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$11.76 ¥78.3

16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$0.69 ¥4.57

140.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$1.15 ¥7.63

96.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.29 ¥1.90

303.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$18.11 ¥121

327.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$0.88 ¥5.87

44.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$0.39 ¥2.57

425.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$3.01 ¥20.05

184.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.24 ¥8.22

8.87%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$19.4K ¥128.8K

75.98%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$17.1K ¥114.0K

102.33%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$23.30 ¥155

628.11%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$5.98 ¥39.77

126.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$8.88 ¥59.1

216.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$42.23 ¥281

3.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$14.79 ¥98.4

16.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$6.05 ¥40.26

14.21%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$300 ¥1,994

165.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$14.9K ¥99.0K

-38.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$22.75 ¥151

272.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$33.44 ¥223

73.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$61.0 ¥406

121.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$69.0 ¥459

41.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$285 ¥1,897

323.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$186 ¥1,237

245.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$598 ¥3,978

239.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$361 ¥2,404

180.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$3,262 ¥21.7K

27.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,980 ¥13.2K

-3.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$501 ¥3,336

31.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

173.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tonghua: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Tonghua

$186 28.9% 71% $456

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Tonghua

$188 29.2% 36.8% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Tonghua

$38 5.9% 81.9% $173

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Tonghua

$71 11% 58.2% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Tonghua

$84 13% 50.4% $85

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Tonghua

$22 3.4% 76.4% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Tonghua

$54 8.5% 5.6% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $285 in Tonghua. 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 31% higher in Medellin, 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 $22 in Tonghua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $188 – making Tonghua the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Tonghua

🕒 Local time

23:25 11:25 PM

12:25 12:25 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

446,917

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Tonghua 14,250 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tonghua

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 Tonghua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 155%, 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 $964 in Tonghua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tonghua, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $285 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $22 in Tonghua. 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 $643 in Tonghua. That makes Tonghua about 61% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Tonghua, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Tonghua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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