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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,014 per month in Medellin vs $713 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,596 per month in Medellin vs $1,143 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,178 per month in Medellin vs $1,573 in Zhangzhou, rent included.

Medellin costs about 42% more than Zhangzhou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Zhangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 25% lower, Zhangzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.2K

$2.85 ¥19.49

115.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.3K

$21.93 ¥150

50.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$4.99 ¥34.10

46.69%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,987

$3.08 ¥21.02

-46.10%

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

$1.10 COP 3,987

$0.47 ¥3.21

134.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,822

$0.29 ¥1.99

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,188

$0.87 ¥5.94

96.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.5K

$2.15 ¥14.67

47.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,012

$1.81 ¥12.38

-38.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,719

$1.59 ¥10.87

-17.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,980

$0.95 ¥6.47

45.26%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 8,009

$1.59 ¥10.85

39.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.7K

$12.72 ¥86.9

-65.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$3.23 ¥22.06

79.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.4K

$10.41 ¥71.1

-13.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,164

$1.86 ¥12.68

21.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,023

$1.27 ¥8.64

-12.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,284

$1.48 ¥10.12

-1.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,929

$1.14 ¥7.78

20.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,009

$0.69 ¥4.72

60.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,199

$0.97 ¥6.65

19.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,211

$0.55 ¥3.78

61.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,124

$0.55 ¥3.76

58.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,495

$3.10 ¥21.17

-24.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.2K

$10.77 ¥73.5

0.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,330

$0.74 ¥5.04

62.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,946

$1.58 ¥10.81

56.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,842

$0.29 ¥2.00

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 147.2K

$16.96 ¥116

140.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,137

$1.35 ¥9.22

5.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,900

$0.33 ¥2.22

478.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$6.71 ¥45.86

14.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,490

$1.17 ¥7.96

-17.09%

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

$18.1K COP 65.3M

$19.4K ¥132.2K

-6.49%

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

$26.3K COP 95.0M

$17.3K ¥117.8K

52.48%

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

$81.3 COP 293.5K

$45.62 ¥312

78.23%

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

$9.63 COP 34.8K

$9.69 ¥66.2

-0.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 88.0K

$11.87 ¥81.1

105.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.9K

$41.38 ¥283

-37.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.3K

$13.90 ¥94.9

36.12%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$5.76 ¥39.36

-32.47%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$337 ¥2,300

-9.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$17.0K ¥116.2K

-65.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.8K

$43.28 ¥296

35.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.2K

$29.84 ¥204

8.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 367.3K

$72.1 ¥492

41.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 390.4K

$71.9 ¥491

50.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$275 ¥1,881

72.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$194 ¥1,328

90.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$598 ¥4,087

41.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$353 ¥2,414

102.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.4M

$3,044 ¥20.8K

-5.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

$2,003 ¥13.7K

-31.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Zhangzhou: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $474 in Medellin versus $275 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 in Medellin versus $22 in Zhangzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $199 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 42%, 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 $1,069 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 $1,014 in Medellin and $713 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 $713, than in Medellin at $1,014. 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.