Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zaozhuang

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaozhuang: $667 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Zaozhuang
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Zaozhuang Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Zaozhuang

🇨🇳 China

$667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zaozhuang

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $667 in Zaozhuang, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Zaozhuang $667

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,022 in Zaozhuang, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Zaozhuang $1,022

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,378 in Zaozhuang, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Zaozhuang $1,378

Medellin costs about 146% more than Zaozhuang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Zaozhuang is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$1.82 ¥12.14

344.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$11.81 ¥78.6

298.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$2.26 ¥15.04

320.35%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$1.47 ¥9.80

104.76%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.39 ¥2.58

361.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.15 ¥0.98

840.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$0.91 ¥6.07

249.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$1.77 ¥11.81

224.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.45 ¥9.63

4.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$1.42 ¥9.44

67.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$1.23 ¥8.15

43.90%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$1.06 ¥7.07

172.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$11.74 ¥78.2

-13.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$3.29 ¥21.90

200.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$11.16 ¥74.3

25.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$1.47 ¥9.76

170.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.03 ¥6.83

50.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$1.36 ¥9.07

60.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$1.09 ¥7.24

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.59 ¥3.92

232.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$0.70 ¥4.65

127.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$0.57 ¥3.80

101.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.62 ¥4.09

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$3.65 ¥24.27

8.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$9.84 ¥65.5

39.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$0.71 ¥4.72

133.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$1.36 ¥9.05

66.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.28 ¥1.83

317.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$15.73 ¥105

391.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$1.61 ¥10.72

-21.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$0.25 ¥1.65

720.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$4.48 ¥29.82

90.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.30 ¥8.67

3.85%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$19.7K ¥131.0K

73.09%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$15.3K ¥101.7K

126.96%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$74.1 ¥493

128.98%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$6.84 ¥45.52

98.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$5.08 ¥33.83

452.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$43.72 ¥291

-0.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$15.67 ¥104

9.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$5.33 ¥35.47

29.64%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$215 ¥1,430

270.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$19.7K ¥130.9K

-53.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$33.72 ¥224

151.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$42.01 ¥280

37.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$72.4 ¥482

86.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$71.2 ¥474

37.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$321 ¥2,135

276.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$172 ¥1,147

272.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$630 ¥4,192

221.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$318 ¥2,113

218.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$2,866 ¥19.1K

45.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,665 ¥11.1K

14.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.13

249.52%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zaozhuang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Zaozhuang

$172 25.9% 73.1% $469

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Zaozhuang

$186 27.9% 37.3% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Zaozhuang

$86 12.9% 59.3% $125

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Zaozhuang

$49 7.4% 70.9% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Zaozhuang

$99 14.8% 41.6% $70

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Zaozhuang

$20 3% 79% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Zaozhuang

$54 8.2% 5.5% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $321 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 $47 in Medellin versus $12 in Zaozhuang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $186 – making Zaozhuang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Zaozhuang

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

10:14 10:14 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,125,000

💱 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 Zaozhuang 15,250 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Zaozhuang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 146%, 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 $1,000 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $321 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $12 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 $1,639 in Medellin and $667 in Zaozhuang. That makes Zaozhuang about 59% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Zaozhuang, where all-in costs run around $667, than in Medellin at $1,639. 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.

For expats, Zaozhuang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 59% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.