Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zaozhuang Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zaozhuang

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Medellin vs $722 in Zaozhuang, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,596 per month in Medellin vs $1,126 in Zaozhuang, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,178 per month in Medellin vs $1,530 in Zaozhuang, rent included.

Medellin costs about 40% more than Zaozhuang, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Zaozhuang are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 25% lower, Zaozhuang 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.3K

$2.73 ¥18.66

116.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 119.5K

$21.18 ¥145

56.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 26.1K

$4.93 ¥33.69

47.06%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,176

$3.05 ¥20.85

-43.93%

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

$1.09 COP 3,940

$0.43 ¥2.92

153.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,760

$0.27 ¥1.84

185.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,294

$0.89 ¥6.11

96.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.5K

$2.11 ¥14.42

50.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,816

$1.85 ¥12.61

-42.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,687

$1.56 ¥10.63

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,958

$0.92 ¥6.28

50.00%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,958

$1.57 ¥10.73

40.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.3K

$12.64 ¥86.3

-64.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$3.07 ¥21.00

88.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.3K

$10.36 ¥70.7

-13.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,235

$1.79 ¥12.24

27.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,815

$1.25 ¥8.56

-15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,446

$1.37 ¥9.36

10.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,900

$1.14 ¥7.80

19.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,172

$0.71 ¥4.88

63.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,201

$0.92 ¥6.25

27.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,979

$0.56 ¥3.84

48.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,063

$0.50 ¥3.44

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,477

$3.18 ¥21.75

-26.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.9K

$9.98 ¥68.1

11.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,159

$0.74 ¥5.06

55.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,910

$1.65 ¥11.25

49.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,845

$0.29 ¥2.01

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 150.7K

$16.61 ¥113

151.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,173

$1.40 ¥9.57

2.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,836

$0.33 ¥2.24

475.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.7K

$6.63 ¥45.28

16.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,704

$1.13 ¥7.70

-8.85%

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

$17.7K COP 63.7M

$19.4K ¥132.5K

-8.88%

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

$27.0K COP 97.3M

$16.5K ¥112.5K

64.06%

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

$81.4 COP 293.2K

$46.57 ¥318

74.83%

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

$9.42 COP 33.9K

$9.82 ¥67.0

-4.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.6K

$11.43 ¥78.1

107.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 93.2K

$40.97 ¥280

-36.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.7K

$14.14 ¥96.6

36.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.6K

$6.16 ¥42.10

-34.25%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$343 ¥2,342

-8.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.9M

$17.2K ¥117.6K

-64.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 212.0K

$43.18 ¥295

36.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 118.2K

$30.11 ¥206

9.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 361.9K

$70.5 ¥482

42.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 382.8K

$73.9 ¥505

43.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$283 ¥1,933

73.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$185 ¥1,261

100.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$589 ¥4,021

42.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$361 ¥2,465

98.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$3,143 ¥21.5K

-6.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$2,031 ¥13.9K

-31.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.87

247.03%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Last update for Zaozhuang: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $474 in Medellin versus $283 in Zaozhuang. 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 in Medellin versus $21 in Zaozhuang. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $195 in Zaozhuang – 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 Zaozhuang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 40%, 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 $1,522 per month in Medellin and $1,083 in Zaozhuang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zaozhuang, 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 $21.00 in Zaozhuang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,014 in Medellin and $722 in Zaozhuang. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zaozhuang, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Medellin at $1,014. In Zaozhuang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zaozhuang – 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 Zaozhuang. 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.