Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zhangzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zhangzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,018 per month in Medellin vs $726 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,609 per month in Medellin vs $1,131 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,200 per month in Medellin vs $1,535 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

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

Both Medellin and Zhangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Zhangzhou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.0K

$2.86 ¥19.36

107.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.0K

$21.75 ¥147

52.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.8K

$4.93 ¥33.40

44.42%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,457

$2.99 ¥20.27

-42.81%

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

$1.05 COP 3,356

$0.47 ¥3.18

123.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,311

$0.29 ¥1.98

148.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,502

$0.95 ¥6.43

81.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.05 ¥13.87

54.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,408

$1.80 ¥12.19

-41.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,192

$1.57 ¥10.61

-16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,256

$0.96 ¥6.49

38.54%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,298

$1.54 ¥10.45

48.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.1K

$12.89 ¥87.3

-65.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 18.9K

$3.25 ¥22.03

82.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.7K

$10.14 ¥68.7

-14.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,504

$1.81 ¥12.24

29.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,527

$1.22 ¥8.24

-9.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,698

$1.47 ¥9.97

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,415

$1.13 ¥7.67

22.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,754

$0.70 ¥4.73

67.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,744

$0.90 ¥6.07

30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,890

$0.57 ¥3.85

57.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,693

$0.54 ¥3.69

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,449

$3.15 ¥21.30

-26.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.1K

$10.61 ¥71.8

12.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,673

$0.80 ¥5.40

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,749

$1.64 ¥11.10

47.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,687

$0.27 ¥1.82

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

$16.54 ¥112

146.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,517

$1.36 ¥9.23

3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,127

$0.33 ¥2.23

478.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.0K

$6.80 ¥46.03

15.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,020

$1.16 ¥7.89

-18.97%

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

$17.8K COP 57.0M

$19.6K ¥132.7K

-9.08%

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

$27.1K COP 86.7M

$17.1K ¥116.1K

57.97%

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

$83.3 COP 266.4K

$44.85 ¥304

85.64%

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

$9.66 COP 30.9K

$10.09 ¥68.4

-4.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.5K

$11.80 ¥79.9

105.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 80.7K

$41.11 ¥278

-38.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 61.9K

$13.84 ¥93.7

39.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$5.99 ¥40.53

-32.05%

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

$307 COP 981.2K

$334 ¥2,262

-8.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.1M

$16.7K ¥113.3K

-64.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.9K

$44.31 ¥300

35.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.5K

$29.93 ¥203

9.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 323.5K

$71.3 ¥483

41.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 345.7K

$73.3 ¥496

47.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$283 ¥1,915

68.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$190 ¥1,286

99.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$587 ¥3,975

39.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$357 ¥2,421

97.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

$3,012 ¥20.4K

5.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

$2,010 ¥13.6K

-28.03%

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 Zhangzhou: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $283 in Zhangzhou. 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 Zhangzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Medellin vs $198 in Zhangzhou – 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 Zhangzhou: 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 $1,527 per month in Medellin and $1,089 in Zhangzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhangzhou, 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 Zhangzhou. 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 $726 in Zhangzhou. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhangzhou, where all-in costs run around $726, than in Medellin at $1,018. In Zhangzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhangzhou – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Zhangzhou. 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.