Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Yulin

For one person, living is cheaper in Yulin: $699 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Yulin
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Yulin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Yulin

🇨🇳 China

$699

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Yulin

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $699 in Yulin, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Yulin $699

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,123 in Yulin, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Yulin $1,123

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,548 in Yulin, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Yulin $1,548

Medellin costs about 135% more than Yulin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Yulin is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$2.27 ¥15.10

256.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$16.19 ¥108

190.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$4.90 ¥32.60

93.88%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.14 ¥14.27

40.65%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.40 ¥2.67

350.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.24 ¥1.58

487.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$1.70 ¥11.30

87.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.23 ¥14.81

157.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.84 ¥12.24

-17.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.64 ¥10.95

45.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$0.98 ¥6.55

80.61%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.69 ¥11.22

71.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$12.16 ¥80.9

-16.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$3.60 ¥23.94

174.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$11.61 ¥77.3

20.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$1.73 ¥11.49

129.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.33 ¥8.82

16.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.49 ¥9.91

46.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.23 ¥8.20

77.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$0.76 ¥5.07

157.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$0.99 ¥6.61

60.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.68 ¥4.53

69.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.56 ¥3.72

121.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$3.46 ¥23.03

14.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$10.34 ¥68.8

32.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$0.81 ¥5.37

104.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.42 ¥9.44

59.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.31 ¥2.05

277.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$19.78 ¥132

291.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.44 ¥9.57

-11.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.37 ¥2.48

454.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$7.94 ¥52.9

7.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.41 ¥9.35

-4.26%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$17.2K ¥114.4K

98.15%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$17.8K ¥118.8K

94.26%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$57.2 ¥380

196.85%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$8.96 ¥59.6

51.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$11.40 ¥75.9

146.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$41.11 ¥274

6.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$16.85 ¥112

2.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$6.49 ¥43.21

6.47%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$421 ¥2,803

89.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$16.2K ¥107.6K

-43.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$43.04 ¥286

96.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$32.41 ¥216

78.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$74.7 ¥497

80.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$75.1 ¥500

30.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$329 ¥2,186

267.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$162 ¥1,081

295.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$613 ¥4,079

230.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$363 ¥2,415

178.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$3,146 ¥20.9K

32.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,915 ¥12.7K

-0.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$592 ¥3,939

11.03%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Yulin: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Yulin

$162 23.3% 74.7% $479

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Yulin

$205 29.3% 31% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Yulin

$78 11.1% 63.3% $134

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Yulin

$74 10.6% 56.3% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Yulin

$101 14.5% 40% $68

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Yulin

$24 3.5% 74% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Yulin

$54 7.7% 6% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $329 in Yulin. 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 11% 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 $16 in Yulin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $205 – making Yulin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Yulin

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

07:24 7:24 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

3,700,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Yulin 15,030 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Yulin

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 Yulin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 135%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,048 in Yulin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yulin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $329 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $16 in Yulin. 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 $699 in Yulin. That makes Yulin about 57% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Yulin, where all-in costs run around $699, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Yulin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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