Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zhuhai Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zhuhai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,618 per month in Medellin vs $824 in Zhuhai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,460 per month in Medellin vs $1,351 in Zhuhai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,302 per month in Medellin vs $1,879 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Medellin costs about 96% more than Zhuhai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Zhuhai is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 COP 24.2K

$2.61 ¥17.62

194.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.28 COP 136.4K

$29.85 ¥201

44.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.0K

$5.04 ¥34.00

88.49%

Cappuccino

$2.81 COP 8,854

$3.14 ¥21.20

-10.51%

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

$1.84 COP 5,784

$0.46 ¥3.14

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,749

$0.31 ¥2.06

387.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 COP 9,719

$1.21 ¥8.16

154.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 COP 17.3K

$1.73 ¥11.68

217.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,236

$1.64 ¥11.07

-18.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 COP 7,265

$1.54 ¥10.39

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,630

$1.08 ¥7.29

36.11%

Eggs

$2.69 COP 8,470

$1.77 ¥11.94

51.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 COP 28.0K

$4.30 ¥29.02

106.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 COP 33.5K

$3.47 ¥23.42

206.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 COP 45.6K

$6.90 ¥46.50

109.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 COP 11.8K

$1.37 ¥9.22

173.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 COP 4,370

$0.72 ¥4.86

93.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,002

$0.77 ¥5.17

188.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 COP 6,241

$1.19 ¥8.04

66.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,475

$0.85 ¥5.71

141.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,042

$0.88 ¥5.91

81.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,283

$0.53 ¥3.55

96.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 COP 3,998

$0.58 ¥3.93

118.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 COP 11.8K

$3.03 ¥20.42

23.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.10 COP 41.3K

$10.58 ¥71.3

23.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,969

$0.98 ¥6.62

61.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 COP 9,515

$1.85 ¥12.45

63.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,681

$0.17 ¥1.15

588.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 COP 239.4K

$8.78 ¥59.2

765.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 COP 4,736

$1.50 ¥10.10

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,574

$0.38 ¥2.54

450.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 COP 25.5K

$7.06 ¥47.57

14.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 COP 3,979

$1.23 ¥8.26

2.44%

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

$26.9K COP 84.8M

$15.8K ¥106.8K

69.78%

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

$34.9K COP 109.9M

$16.1K ¥108.4K

117.06%

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

$148 COP 467.4K

$55.5 ¥374

167.13%

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

$13.03 COP 41.1K

$9.11 ¥61.4

43.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.48 COP 99.2K

$11.42 ¥77.0

175.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.50 COP 143.4K

$81.5 ¥550

-44.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 COP 53.6K

$30.84 ¥208

-44.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.32 COP 19.9K

$7.50 ¥50.6

-15.73%

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

$837 COP 2.6M

$476 ¥3,208

75.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,663 COP 27.3M

$4,471 ¥30.1K

93.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 COP 279.8K

$37.41 ¥252

137.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 COP 173.1K

$29.35 ¥198

87.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 COP 423.8K

$65.4 ¥441

105.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 341.4K

$87.5 ¥590

23.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 COP 3.0M

$424 ¥2,856

121.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 COP 2.0M

$278 ¥1,877

132.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 COP 6.1M

$916 ¥6,179

111.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 COP 3.5M

$650 ¥4,383

73.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,638 COP 11.5M

$4,494 ¥30.3K

-19.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,553 COP 4.9M

$3,165 ¥21.3K

-50.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$628 COP 2.0M

$1,062 ¥7,159

-40.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

3.4

206.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 3, 2026

Last update for Zhuhai: August 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $939 in Medellin versus $424 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 69% 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 $43.00 in Medellin versus $30.00 in Zhuhai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $158 – making Zhuhai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 96%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,427 per month in Medellin and $1,236 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Medellin and $30.00 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 $1,618 in Medellin and $824 in Zhuhai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhuhai, where all-in costs run around $824, than in Medellin at $1,618. In Zhuhai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Zhuhai. 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.