Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenzhen: $1,117 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,117
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,714 per month in Shenzhen vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,714
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,310 per month in Shenzhen vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,310
Medellin $3,186

Shenzhen is about 32% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Shenzhen sits 18% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.35

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-54.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-37.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.16

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-44.42%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.34

$3.01 COP 9,722

11.63%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$1.80 COP 5,801

-67.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$1.41 COP 4,554

-74.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-53.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-62.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.22

$1.51 COP 4,869

1.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$2.38 COP 7,667

-31.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$1.77 COP 5,712

-35.59%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$2.89 COP 9,320

-39.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$10.19 COP 32.9K

103.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-65.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$13.99 COP 45.1K

3.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-43.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.55 COP 5,005

4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$2.18 COP 7,039

-11.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$2.18 COP 7,041

-34.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$1.96 COP 6,328

-44.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$1.59 COP 5,125

-19.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$1.15 COP 3,694

-47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$1.24 COP 4,009

-54.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$3.96 COP 12.8K

11.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-11.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$1.66 COP 5,352

-44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$2.26 COP 7,281

-19.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$1.17 COP 3,766

-62.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-76.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$1.27 COP 4,089

20.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$2.05 COP 6,603

-80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.97

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-13.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$1.35 COP 4,343

-2.22%

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-43.56%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-47.95%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$170 COP 547.0K

-61.82%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-26.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$28.07 COP 90.5K

-41.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$43.70 COP 140.9K

12.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-1.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.44

$6.91 COP 22.3K

5.35%

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

$537 ¥3,572

$797 COP 2.6M

-32.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

167.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-34.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-30.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$135 COP 435.2K

-45.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥625

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-4.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,009

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-37.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,132

$642 COP 2.1M

-26.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-8.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,524

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-17.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.7K

$4,170 COP 13.4M

216.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

239.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

$657 COP 2.1M

168.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

10.94

-69.38%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 36.3% $171

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 19.3% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 42.7% $51

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 68.2% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 132% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 9.4% $6

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 300% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $753 in Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen are about 2.7 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 $29 in Shenzhen versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $297 – making Shenzhen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

10:52 10:52 AM

13 h behind Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

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 = 3.1 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 October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shenzhen Medellin 16,640 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
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

Shenzhen vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,675 per month in Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $753 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Shenzhen 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 $1,117 in Shenzhen and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Shenzhen about 32% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,117 in Shenzhen and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Shenzhen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 32% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.