Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shantou and Barranquilla

For one person, living is cheaper in Shantou: $691 a month against $1,546 in Barranquilla, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Shantou
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Shantou Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Barranquilla
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Barranquilla Living Index

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Shantou

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Barranquilla

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shantou and in Barranquilla

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

A single person spends $691 per month in Shantou vs $1,546 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Shantou $691
Barranquilla $1,546

A couple spends around $1,107 per month in Shantou vs $2,298 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Shantou $1,107
Barranquilla $2,298

A family of three spends $1,524 per month in Shantou vs $3,050 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Shantou $1,524
Barranquilla $3,050

Shantou is about 55% cheaper than Barranquilla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Shantou sits 49% below the global median, while Barranquilla is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ¥15.17

$8.99 COP 29.0K

-74.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.55 ¥157

$63.7 COP 205.7K

-63.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 ¥35.00

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-61.48%

Cappuccino

$3.29 ¥21.86

$2.85 COP 9,209

15.44%

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

$0.47 ¥3.14

$1.38 COP 4,441

-65.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.04

$1.25 COP 4,024

-75.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$3.06 COP 9,864

-69.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ¥14.78

$7.74 COP 25.0K

-71.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ¥10.68

$0.85 COP 2,734

89.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ¥9.77

$1.29 COP 4,159

13.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.17

$1.55 COP 5,020

-49.68%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.32

$2.20 COP 7,105

-22.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 ¥91.0

$5.22 COP 16.9K

162.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ¥21.86

$17.73 COP 57.3K

-81.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$7.05 COP 22.8K

83.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ¥13.63

$2.15 COP 6,955

-4.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ¥10.46

$0.98 COP 3,160

60.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 ¥12.16

$0.64 COP 2,078

185.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 ¥9.15

$1.87 COP 6,038

-26.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.67

$1.30 COP 4,182

-34.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.71

$0.92 COP 2,985

9.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.94

$1.23 COP 3,960

-52.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.84

$0.89 COP 2,886

-51.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.06

$5.13 COP 16.6K

-26.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥78.4

$12.81 COP 41.4K

-7.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.55

$1.60 COP 5,178

-47.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥11.57

$4.59 COP 14.8K

-62.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ¥2.54

$1.19 COP 3,833

-68.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.13 ¥160

$69.1 COP 223.2K

-65.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.71

$3.42 COP 11.1K

-57.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$3.17 COP 10.2K

-87.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.39 ¥49.13

$15.85 COP 51.2K

-53.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.27

$1.29 COP 4,159

-3.88%

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

$19.7K ¥130.9K

$34.9K COP 112.8M

-43.61%

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

$18.2K ¥120.8K

$34.3K COP 110.8M

-47.00%

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

$58.3 ¥388

$151 COP 486.8K

-61.32%

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

$9.17 ¥60.9

$14.87 COP 48.0K

-38.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 ¥92.0

$32.39 COP 104.6K

-57.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.92 COP 122.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.42 ¥49.29

$5.49 COP 17.7K

35.15%

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

$527 ¥3,505

$311 COP 1.0M

69.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ¥161.8K

$4,796 COP 15.5M

407.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 ¥367

$114 COP 369.2K

-51.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ¥269

$47.37 COP 153.0K

-14.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥481

$186 COP 601.3K

-61.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 ¥617

$249 COP 803.9K

-62.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 ¥1,963

$827 COP 2.7M

-64.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 ¥984

$495 COP 1.6M

-70.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 ¥3,924

$1,996 COP 6.4M

-70.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ¥1,998

$691 COP 2.2M

-56.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,209 ¥14.7K

$2,113 COP 6.8M

4.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,479 ¥29.8K

$1,005 COP 3.2M

345.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,070 ¥7,110

$525 COP 1.7M

103.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

-66.50%

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

Last update for Shantou: October 26, 2026

Last update for Barranquilla: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shantou

$214 31%

Barranquilla

$255 16.5% 18.8% $40

Accommodation & Living

Shantou

$148 21.4%

Barranquilla

$495 32% 234% $346

Clothing & Footwear

Shantou

$117 17%

Barranquilla

$269 17.4% 129% $151

Eating Out

Shantou

$86 12.4%

Barranquilla

$188 12.2% 120% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shantou

$81 11.8%

Barranquilla

$198 12.8% 144% $117

Getting Around

Shantou

$29 4.2%

Barranquilla

$93 6% 220% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Shantou

$15 * 2.2%

Barranquilla

$49 3.2% 230% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $295 in Shantou versus $827 in Barranquilla. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Shantou are about 2 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 $24 in Shantou versus $64 in Barranquilla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $255 – making Shantou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shantou

🇨🇴 Barranquilla

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

03:50 3:50 AM

13 h behind Shantou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,389,328

1,327,209

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shantou Barranquilla 16,000 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Shantou
Barranquilla

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

Shantou vs Barranquilla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barranquilla costs about 124% more than Shantou, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,036 per month in Shantou and $2,319 in Barranquilla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shantou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $295 there versus $827 in Barranquilla.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Shantou and $64 in Barranquilla. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $691 in Shantou and $1,546 in Barranquilla. That makes Shantou about 55% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Shantou, where all-in costs run around $691, than in Barranquilla at $1,546. In Shantou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barranquilla it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Barranquilla has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $691 in Shantou to $1,546 in Barranquilla. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Shantou is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 55% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.