Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quanzhou and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Quanzhou: $809 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Quanzhou
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Quanzhou Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Quanzhou

🇨🇳 China

$809

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quanzhou and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Quanzhou and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $809 per month in Quanzhou vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Quanzhou $809
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,193 per month in Quanzhou vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Quanzhou $1,193
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,578 per month in Quanzhou vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Quanzhou $1,578
Medellin $3,186

Quanzhou is about 51% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quanzhou sits 41% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.27 ¥15.14

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-71.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.03 ¥200

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-36.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥32.54

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-48.53%

Cappuccino

$3.34 ¥22.24

$3.01 COP 9,485

10.96%

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

$0.46 ¥3.07

$1.80 COP 5,660

-74.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$1.41 COP 4,443

-79.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 ¥19.77

$3.18 COP 9,990

-6.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ¥12.32

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-67.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥10.12

$1.51 COP 4,751

0.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 ¥5.56

$2.38 COP 7,480

-64.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$1.77 COP 5,573

-47.46%

Eggs

$1.55 ¥10.34

$2.89 COP 9,093

-46.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.48 ¥49.80

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-26.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.28 ¥15.16

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-76.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.13 ¥34.15

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-63.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.86

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-62.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.16

$1.55 COP 4,883

-40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.07

$2.18 COP 6,867

-65.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.23

$2.18 COP 6,870

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$1.96 COP 6,174

-78.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.69

$1.59 COP 5,000

-37.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.17 ¥1.12

$1.15 COP 3,604

-85.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.43

$1.24 COP 3,911

-58.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 ¥21.70

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-17.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.60 ¥50.6

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$1.66 COP 5,221

-44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 ¥8.80

$2.26 COP 7,103

-41.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.17 COP 3,674

-73.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.35 ¥162

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-68.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ¥7.79

$1.27 COP 3,989

-7.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.26

$2.05 COP 6,442

-83.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 ¥58.6

$8.55 COP 26.9K

3.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$1.35 COP 4,237

-7.41%

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

$18.1K ¥120.4K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-46.89%

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

$15.8K ¥105.1K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-54.45%

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

$51.8 ¥345

$170 COP 533.7K

-69.46%

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

$8.13 ¥54.1

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-40.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.28 ¥81.7

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-56.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 ¥372

$43.70 COP 137.5K

28.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 ¥123

$17.19 COP 54.1K

7.80%

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ¥39.67

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-13.75%

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

$522 ¥3,475

$797 COP 2.5M

-34.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ¥79.2K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

30.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.68 ¥138

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-75.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.21 ¥221

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-42.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 ¥605

$135 COP 424.6K

-32.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.1 ¥639

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-1.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ¥1,795

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-77.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 ¥1,998

$642 COP 2.0M

-53.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ¥3,259

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-75.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 ¥2,662

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-60.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,041 ¥20.2K

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-27.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,972 ¥13.1K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

3.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$827 ¥5,504

$657 COP 2.1M

25.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.15

10.94

-71.21%

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

Last update for Quanzhou: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quanzhou

$300 37.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 114% $341

Groceries & Markets

Quanzhou

$137 16.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 117% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Quanzhou

$108 13.4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 55.9% $61

Eating Out

Quanzhou

$95 11.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 79.4% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quanzhou

$72 8.9%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 193% $139

Sport & Entertainment

Quanzhou

$68 8.4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 15.2% $10

Getting Around

Quanzhou

$28 3.5%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 229% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $270 in Quanzhou versus $1,208 in Medellin. 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 26% higher in Quanzhou, 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 $30 in Quanzhou versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $137 vs $297 – making Quanzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Quanzhou

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

15:36 3:36 PM

13 h behind Quanzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,128,530

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Quanzhou Medellin 16,220 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Quanzhou
Medellin

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

Quanzhou vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 103%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,213 per month in Quanzhou and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quanzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $270 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $809 in Quanzhou and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Quanzhou about 51% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Quanzhou, where all-in costs run around $809, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Quanzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Quanzhou is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 51% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.