Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zhuhai

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhuhai: $787 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Zhuhai
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Zhuhai Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Zhuhai

🇨🇳 China

$787

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zhuhai

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $787 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Zhuhai $787

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,308 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Zhuhai $1,308

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,828 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Zhuhai $1,828

Medellin costs about 115% more than Zhuhai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Zhuhai is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$2.74 ¥18.27

204.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$30.04 ¥200

54.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$5.23 ¥34.82

81.07%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$3.19 ¥21.22

-1.88%

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

$1.77 COP 5,705

$0.50 ¥3.34

254.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,601

$0.32 ¥2.16

343.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.23 ¥8.16

156.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$2.16 ¥14.38

163.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

$1.58 ¥10.49

-3.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,401

$1.31 ¥8.69

74.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,282

$1.14 ¥7.60

70.18%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,905

$1.64 ¥10.89

87.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$4.30 ¥28.61

132.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$2.29 ¥15.22

356.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$3.87 ¥25.76

260.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.31 ¥8.69

209.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

$0.58 ¥3.83

163.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

$0.44 ¥2.91

377.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

$1.47 ¥9.78

55.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

$0.73 ¥4.88

189.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

$0.47 ¥3.11

263.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

$0.29 ¥1.91

303.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

$0.44 ¥2.93

259.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.95 ¥19.63

32.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

$3.72 ¥24.80

277.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,690

$0.58 ¥3.88

203.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

$1.78 ¥11.86

52.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

$0.15 ¥0.98

686.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

$9.11 ¥60.7

737.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

$1.47 ¥9.79

23.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

$0.38 ¥2.51

460.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$7.24 ¥48.21

12.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

$1.25 ¥8.32

2.40%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$15.5K ¥103.2K

122.27%

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

$13.6K ¥90.7K

150.46%

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

$178 COP 574.1K

$57.0 ¥380

211.75%

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

$13.89 COP 44.9K

$9.84 ¥65.5

41.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$16.64 ¥111

84.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

$82.8 ¥551

-49.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

$32.05 ¥213

-47.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$7.63 ¥50.8

-2.10%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$525 ¥3,493

50.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$40.3K ¥268.3K

-69.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

$29.72 ¥198

190.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

$40.26 ¥268

47.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

$73.5 ¥489

88.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

$82.6 ¥550

19.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$438 ¥2,917

206.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$283 ¥1,881

136.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$905 ¥6,024

118.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$655 ¥4,358

57.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$4,619 ¥30.8K

-11.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$2,911 ¥19.4K

-33.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$1,072 ¥7,135

-39.70%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zhuhai: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Zhuhai

$283 35.9% 57.6% $385

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Zhuhai

$118 15.1% 61.5% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Zhuhai

$83 10.6% 62.5% $139

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Zhuhai

$90 11.4% 48.1% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Zhuhai

$102 12.9% 40.9% $71

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Zhuhai

$13 1.7% 86% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Zhuhai

$98 12.5% 72.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $438 in Zhuhai. 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 66% higher in Zhuhai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $30 in Zhuhai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $118 – making Zhuhai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Zhuhai

🕒 Local time

07:54 7:54 AM

20:54 8:54 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,207,090

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Zhuhai 16,690 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
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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 Zhuhai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 115%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,180 in Zhuhai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhuhai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $438 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $30 in Zhuhai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $787 in Zhuhai. That makes Zhuhai about 53% cheaper.

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

For expats, Zhuhai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 53% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.