Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Xi'an and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Xi’an: $755 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Xi'an
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Xi'an Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Xi'an

🇨🇳 China

$755

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $755 per month in Xi’an vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Xi'an $755
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,173 per month in Xi’an vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Xi'an $1,173
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,592 per month in Xi’an vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Xi'an $1,592
Medellin $3,249

Xi’an is about 55% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Xi’an sits 44% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.47

$8.34 COP 27.0K

-64.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.34 ¥122

$46.53 COP 150.9K

-60.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 ¥30.32

$9.47 COP 30.7K

-51.95%

Cappuccino

$2.10 ¥13.96

$3.13 COP 10.2K

-32.91%

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

$0.42 ¥2.78

$1.77 COP 5,728

-76.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$1.42 COP 4,620

-80.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.76

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ¥9.90

$5.70 COP 18.5K

-73.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥9.72

$1.53 COP 4,971

-4.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥11.53

$2.29 COP 7,431

-24.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.77

$1.94 COP 6,308

-55.15%

Eggs

$1.47 ¥9.76

$3.07 COP 9,945

-52.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.43 ¥76.1

$9.99 COP 32.4K

14.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.46 ¥29.74

$10.45 COP 33.9K

-57.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥70.9

$13.96 COP 45.3K

-23.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ¥10.83

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-59.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.71

$1.53 COP 4,957

-24.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.58

$2.10 COP 6,825

-45.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$2.29 COP 7,439

-42.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.27

$2.11 COP 6,841

-69.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.28

$1.71 COP 5,543

-53.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ¥4.65

$1.17 COP 3,795

-40.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$1.58 COP 5,125

-65.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ¥23.07

$3.91 COP 12.7K

-11.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 ¥74.1

$14.04 COP 45.6K

-20.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥5.38

$1.76 COP 5,714

-53.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥11.61

$2.71 COP 8,796

-35.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.18 COP 3,826

-73.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.59 ¥164

$76.3 COP 247.4K

-67.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$1.81 COP 5,860

-30.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.90

$2.13 COP 6,906

-86.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ¥23.65

$8.13 COP 26.4K

-56.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.11

$1.28 COP 4,136

7.03%

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$34.4K COP 111.7M

-44.26%

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

$17.5K ¥116.6K

$34.1K COP 110.7M

-48.72%

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

$88.4 ¥589

$178 COP 576.4K

-50.25%

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

$6.47 ¥43.12

$13.89 COP 45.0K

-53.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.74 ¥71.5

$30.74 COP 99.7K

-65.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.85 ¥199

$41.94 COP 136.0K

-28.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.42 ¥143

$16.80 COP 54.5K

27.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.70 ¥38.00

$7.47 COP 24.2K

-23.69%

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

$908 ¥6,045

$790 COP 2.6M

14.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ¥148.8K

$12.3K COP 39.9M

81.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.32 ¥262

$86.3 COP 280.0K

-54.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.62 ¥251

$59.3 COP 192.2K

-36.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 ¥508

$138 COP 448.7K

-44.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ¥725

$98.8 COP 320.5K

10.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 ¥1,932

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-78.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 ¥1,250

$667 COP 2.2M

-71.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 ¥4,760

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-63.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ¥2,404

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-65.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,285 ¥15.2K

$4,098 COP 13.3M

-44.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,598 ¥10.6K

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-17.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,262 ¥8,402

$646 COP 2.1M

95.25%

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 Xi'an: November 3, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Xi'an

$199 26.3%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 54.7% $109

Accommodation & Living

Xi'an

$188 24.9%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 256% $480

Clothing & Footwear

Xi'an

$118 15.6%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 46.1% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Xi'an

$106 14%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 111% $117

Eating Out

Xi'an

$75 10%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 129% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Xi'an

$41 5.5%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 37.9% $16

Getting Around

Xi'an

$29 3.8%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 228% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in Xi’an versus $1,341 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 95% higher in Xi’an, 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 $18 in Xi’an versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $307 – making Xi’an the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Xi'an

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:09 3:09 PM

02:09 2:09 AM

13 h behind Xi'an

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,183,280

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Xi'an Medellin 15,480 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Xi'an
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

Xi'an vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 124%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,132 per month in Xi’an and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Xi’an, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Xi’an 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 $755 in Xi’an and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Xi’an about 55% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $755 in Xi’an to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Xi’an 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.