Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Xiangyang Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Xiangyang

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,018 per month in Medellin vs $709 in Xiangyang, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,609 per month in Medellin vs $1,140 in Xiangyang, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,200 per month in Medellin vs $1,571 in Xiangyang, rent included.

Medellin costs about 44% more than Xiangyang, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Xiangyang are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Xiangyang 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.1K

$2.83 ¥19.18

109.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.4K

$21.54 ¥146

53.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.9K

$4.82 ¥32.60

47.72%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,480

$3.05 ¥20.65

-43.93%

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

$1.05 COP 3,370

$0.43 ¥2.91

144.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,321

$0.27 ¥1.82

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,524

$0.94 ¥6.38

82.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.13 ¥14.41

48.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,422

$1.78 ¥12.02

-40.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,209

$1.60 ¥10.81

-18.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,273

$0.96 ¥6.53

38.54%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,328

$1.58 ¥10.70

44.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.2K

$12.85 ¥86.9

-65.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 19.0K

$3.26 ¥22.07

81.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$10.07 ¥68.1

-14.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,535

$1.80 ¥12.17

30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,541

$1.21 ¥8.20

-9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,718

$1.53 ¥10.38

-3.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,433

$1.15 ¥7.75

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$0.76 ¥5.11

53.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,760

$0.94 ¥6.37

24.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,902

$0.60 ¥4.05

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,704

$0.55 ¥3.70

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,480

$3.22 ¥21.76

-27.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.3K

$10.50 ¥71.1

13.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,688

$0.79 ¥5.35

45.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,780

$1.58 ¥10.69

53.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,698

$0.27 ¥1.81

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 131.2K

$16.60 ¥112

145.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,535

$1.42 ¥9.64

-0.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,152

$0.36 ¥2.40

430.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.1K

$6.79 ¥45.95

15.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,033

$1.12 ¥7.61

-16.07%

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

$17.8K COP 57.3M

$19.1K ¥129.3K

-6.78%

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

$27.1K COP 87.0M

$17.3K ¥117.0K

56.58%

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

$83.3 COP 267.5K

$44.85 ¥303

85.64%

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

$9.66 COP 31.0K

$9.56 ¥64.7

1.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.8K

$11.58 ¥78.3

109.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 81.1K

$42.05 ¥284

-40.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.1K

$13.97 ¥94.5

38.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.1K

$5.82 ¥39.36

-30.07%

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

$307 COP 985.2K

$340 ¥2,300

-9.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.2M

$17.1K ¥115.9K

-65.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 192.6K

$43.48 ¥294

37.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.9K

$30.93 ¥209

5.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 324.8K

$71.9 ¥486

40.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.2K

$70.9 ¥480

52.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$276 ¥1,867

72.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$195 ¥1,321

93.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$597 ¥4,042

36.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$354 ¥2,394

99.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

$3,081 ¥20.8K

3.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

$2,055 ¥13.9K

-29.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.89

245.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Last update for Xiangyang: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $276 in Xiangyang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $22.00 in Xiangyang. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Medellin vs $198 in Xiangyang – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Xiangyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 44%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,527 per month in Medellin and $1,063 in Xiangyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Xiangyang, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $22.00 in Xiangyang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,018 in Medellin and $709 in Xiangyang. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Xiangyang, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Medellin at $1,018. In Xiangyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Xiangyang – 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 Xiangyang. 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.