Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,222 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai 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 Shanghai and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Shanghai vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Shanghai $1,222
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,971 per month in Shanghai vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Shanghai $1,971
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,720 per month in Shanghai vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Shanghai $2,720
Medellin $3,186

Shanghai is about 25% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Shanghai sits 10% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.11

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-44.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-35.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.04

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-46.21%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.70

$3.01 COP 9,485

13.29%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$1.80 COP 5,660

-67.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$1.41 COP 4,443

-75.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$3.18 COP 9,990

-61.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-59.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.52

$1.51 COP 4,751

24.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$2.38 COP 7,480

-18.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$1.77 COP 5,573

-44.63%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.31

$2.89 COP 9,093

-41.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$10.19 COP 32.1K

67.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.41

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-67.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-7.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.31

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-45.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.48

$1.55 COP 4,883

11.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.51

$2.18 COP 6,867

-6.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$2.18 COP 6,870

-20.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$1.96 COP 6,174

-57.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$1.59 COP 5,000

-42.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$1.15 COP 3,604

-41.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$1.24 COP 3,911

-52.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.10

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-4.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.4

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-19.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$1.66 COP 5,221

-45.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$2.26 COP 7,103

-29.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$1.17 COP 3,674

-51.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-61.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$1.27 COP 3,989

68.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$2.05 COP 6,442

-77.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.2

$8.55 COP 26.9K

2.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.35 COP 4,237

-0.74%

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

$19.3K ¥128.1K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-43.49%

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

$18.3K ¥121.7K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-47.27%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$170 COP 533.7K

-65.28%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-41.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-62.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$43.70 COP 137.5K

48.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$17.19 COP 54.1K

1.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.3

$6.91 COP 21.7K

31.11%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$797 COP 2.5M

99.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.9K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

209.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-35.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-35.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$135 COP 424.6K

-44.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥707

$97.9 COP 307.9K

8.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,826

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-15.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,722

$642 COP 2.0M

-12.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

29.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,926

$1,012 COP 3.2M

17.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥89.0K

$4,170 COP 13.1M

220.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

241.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

$657 COP 2.1M

160.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

10.94

-69.29%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 14.7% $82

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 25.6% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 37.8% $46

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 58.5% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 30.6% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 173% $134

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 157% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,026 in Shanghai 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 in Shanghai are about 2.6 times higher, 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 Shanghai versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $297 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:57 6:57 AM

17:57 5:57 PM

13 h behind Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Medellin 15,470 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
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

Shanghai vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Shanghai 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 Shanghai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,026 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai 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 $1,222 in Shanghai and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Shanghai about 25% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,222 in Shanghai and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,222 in Shanghai to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Shanghai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 25% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.