Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zhuzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zhuzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $721 in Zhuzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,131 in Zhuzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $1,541 in Zhuzhou, rent included.

Medellin costs about 41% more than Zhuzhou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$2.81 ¥19.02

113.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$21.98 ¥149

49.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$4.86 ¥32.87

45.88%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,155

$3.09 ¥20.89

-44.66%

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

$1.10 COP 3,950

$0.44 ¥2.95

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,799

$0.27 ¥1.80

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,037

$0.89 ¥6.03

88.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.04 ¥13.80

50.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,931

$1.86 ¥12.56

-41.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,537

$1.57 ¥10.62

-19.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$0.90 ¥6.07

53.33%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,878

$1.54 ¥10.44

42.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$12.62 ¥85.4

-65.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$3.27 ¥22.15

72.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$10.06 ¥68.0

-11.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,403

$1.81 ¥12.26

29.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,802

$1.26 ¥8.54

-15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,409

$1.54 ¥10.45

-2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,956

$1.15 ¥7.78

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,138

$0.68 ¥4.63

69.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,183

$0.90 ¥6.11

28.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,203

$0.60 ¥4.04

48.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$0.51 ¥3.42

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,198

$3.16 ¥21.38

-27.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.3K

$10.48 ¥70.9

1.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,312

$0.74 ¥5.00

62.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,882

$1.65 ¥11.17

49.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,076

$0.27 ¥1.81

218.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$16.98 ¥115

143.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,298

$1.35 ¥9.15

8.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,055

$0.35 ¥2.40

460.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$6.63 ¥44.85

16.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,431

$1.12 ¥7.60

-15.18%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$19.5K ¥132.2K

-7.24%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$17.3K ¥116.8K

53.34%

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

$82.3 COP 295.7K

$45.18 ¥306

82.05%

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

$9.50 COP 34.2K

$9.88 ¥66.8

-3.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$11.60 ¥78.5

108.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$41.09 ¥278

-36.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$13.69 ¥92.6

38.79%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$5.76 ¥38.94

-31.77%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$334 ¥2,259

-7.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$16.9K ¥114.4K

-64.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$43.70 ¥296

34.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.3K

$30.72 ¥208

5.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.8K

$70.5 ¥477

45.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.7K

$70.7 ¥478

53.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$280 ¥1,896

69.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$190 ¥1,282

99.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$580 ¥3,926

44.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$362 ¥2,449

99.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$3,067 ¥20.7K

-9.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$2,022 ¥13.7K

-40.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zhuzhou: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $280 in Zhuzhou. 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 Zhuzhou. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Medellin vs $197 in Zhuzhou – 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 Zhuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 41%, 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 $1,519 per month in Medellin and $1,081 in Zhuzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhuzhou, 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 Zhuzhou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,013 in Medellin and $721 in Zhuzhou. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhuzhou, where all-in costs run around $721, than in Medellin at $1,013. In Zhuzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhuzhou – 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 Zhuzhou. 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.