Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Zibo: $723 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Zibo
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Zibo Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Zibo

🇨🇳 China

$723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zibo

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $723 in Zibo, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Zibo $723

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,158 in Zibo, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Zibo $1,158

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,594 in Zibo, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Zibo $1,594

Medellin costs about 123% more than Zibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Zibo is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$4.23 ¥28.29

87.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.7K

$24.35 ¥163

89.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.2K

$5.89 ¥39.39

61.29%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,897

$3.95 ¥26.39

-21.27%

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

$1.83 COP 5,818

$0.47 ¥3.18

289.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,373

$0.28 ¥1.88

392.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,702

$0.93 ¥6.20

227.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$1.69 ¥11.27

225.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,614

$1.43 ¥9.57

1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,519

$0.73 ¥4.86

223.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,345

$0.87 ¥5.85

93.10%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,106

$1.27 ¥8.51

125.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.4K

$15.16 ¥101

-32.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.3K

$2.07 ¥13.86

360.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.7K

$5.95 ¥39.78

135.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.22 ¥8.18

233.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,757

$0.87 ¥5.82

72.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,913

$1.03 ¥6.86

110.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,333

$0.92 ¥6.12

151.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,132

$0.43 ¥2.88

348.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,212

$0.88 ¥5.88

86.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,582

$0.44 ¥2.91

156.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,966

$0.63 ¥4.19

98.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$5.36 ¥35.87

-25.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.5K

$13.27 ¥88.7

0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,400

$0.73 ¥4.86

132.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,548

$1.48 ¥9.87

60.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,839

$0.29 ¥1.91

317.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.3K

$17.98 ¥120

325.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,192

$1.19 ¥7.94

10.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,795

$0.35 ¥2.37

511.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.9K

$6.33 ¥42.31

33.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,127

$1.09 ¥7.29

19.27%

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

$28.0K COP 89.0M

$19.1K ¥128.0K

46.22%

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

$35.4K COP 112.6M

$14.8K ¥99.1K

139.04%

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

$172 COP 547.3K

$94.6 ¥633

81.89%

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

$13.37 COP 42.5K

$6.17 ¥41.28

116.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.4K

$5.92 ¥39.61

385.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.9K

$44.36 ¥297

1.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.2K

$15.33 ¥103

11.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$7.40 ¥49.48

-15.14%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$181 ¥1,211

325.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

$17.6K ¥118.0K

-48.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.8K

$29.37 ¥196

194.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.7K

$22.17 ¥148

157.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 434.3K

$74.1 ¥496

84.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 311.4K

$89.8 ¥601

8.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

$304 ¥2,031

247.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$159 ¥1,061

288.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$593 ¥3,967

219.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

$368 ¥2,459

178.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$3,094 ¥20.7K

31.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,981 ¥13.2K

-15.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$751 ¥5,024

-13.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.54

209.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zibo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Zibo

$159 22% 74.2% $457

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Zibo

$169 23.4% 42.6% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Zibo

$107 14.8% 50.2% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Zibo

$97 13.4% 43% $73

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Zibo

$110 15.2% 34.7% $58

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Zibo

$22 3.1% 76.3% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Zibo

$59 8.2% 2.3% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $304 in Zibo. 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 15% higher in Zibo, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $24.00 in Zibo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $169 – making Zibo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇳 Zibo

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

14:02 2:02 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

4,708,400

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,561 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Zibo 15,020 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Zibo

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 Zibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 123%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,084 in Zibo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zibo, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $24.00 in Zibo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $723 in Zibo. That's a gap of about 123%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zibo, where all-in costs run around $723, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Zibo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zibo – 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 Zibo. 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.