Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhengzhou and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhengzhou: $661 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Zhengzhou
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Zhengzhou Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Zhengzhou

🇨🇳 China

$661

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $661 per month in Zhengzhou vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Zhengzhou $661
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,056 per month in Zhengzhou vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Zhengzhou $1,056
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,451 per month in Zhengzhou vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Zhengzhou $1,451
Medellin $3,186

Zhengzhou is about 60% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Zhengzhou sits 51% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.22 ¥14.76

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-72.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.32 ¥109

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-65.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-53.37%

Cappuccino

$2.31 ¥15.38

$3.01 COP 9,485

-23.26%

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

$0.52 ¥3.49

$1.80 COP 5,660

-71.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$1.41 COP 4,443

-80.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.91 ¥6.08

$3.18 COP 9,990

-71.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ¥10.24

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-73.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥10.33

$1.51 COP 4,751

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.17

$2.38 COP 7,480

-29.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.89

$1.77 COP 5,573

-41.81%

Eggs

$0.97 ¥6.49

$2.89 COP 9,093

-66.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.45 ¥56.2

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-17.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.20

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-67.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ¥68.9

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-26.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.81

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-62.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.79

$1.55 COP 4,883

-34.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$2.18 COP 6,867

-50.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.09

$2.18 COP 6,870

-44.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.16

$1.96 COP 6,174

-67.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.83

$1.59 COP 5,000

-54.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.43

$1.15 COP 3,604

-41.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.24

$1.24 COP 3,911

-36.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥22.79

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-13.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 ¥98.1

$13.68 COP 43.0K

7.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.16

$1.66 COP 5,221

-43.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥13.86

$2.26 COP 7,103

-7.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 ¥1.00

$1.17 COP 3,674

-87.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.80 ¥98.5

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-80.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.17

$1.27 COP 3,989

20.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$2.05 COP 6,442

-84.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ¥23.77

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-58.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.45

$1.35 COP 4,237

-5.93%

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

$19.6K ¥130.3K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-42.53%

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

$17.2K ¥114.7K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-50.29%

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

$71.1 ¥473

$170 COP 533.7K

-58.08%

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

$7.05 ¥46.89

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-47.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.24 ¥68.2

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-63.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.26 ¥275

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-5.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.72 ¥91.3

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-20.19%

Cinema Ticket

$5.97 ¥39.76

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-13.60%

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

$388 ¥2,581

$797 COP 2.5M

-51.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K ¥208.3K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

243.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.63 ¥290

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-48.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.63 ¥224

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-41.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 ¥484

$135 COP 424.6K

-46.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥480

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-26.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$201 ¥1,336

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-83.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 ¥942

$642 COP 2.0M

-77.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$574 ¥3,823

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-71.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ¥2,217

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-67.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,830 ¥18.8K

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-32.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,505 ¥10.0K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-21.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$920 ¥6,125

$657 COP 2.1M

40.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.29

10.94

-69.93%

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

Last update for Zhengzhou: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhengzhou

$190 28.8%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 56.1% $107

Accommodation & Living

Zhengzhou

$142 21.4%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 353% $500

Clothing & Footwear

Zhengzhou

$100 15.1%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 69% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhengzhou

$88 13.4%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 139% $123

Eating Out

Zhengzhou

$70 10.5%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 144% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Zhengzhou

$53 8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 8.1% $4.3

Getting Around

Zhengzhou

$18 2.8%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 406% $75

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $201 in Zhengzhou 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 40% higher in Zhengzhou, 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 $16 in Zhengzhou versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $297 – making Zhengzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhengzhou

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

18:13 6:13 PM

13 h behind Zhengzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,600,574

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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Zhengzhou Medellin 15,350 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhengzhou
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

Zhengzhou vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 148%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $992 per month in Zhengzhou 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 Zhengzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $201 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Zhengzhou 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 $661 in Zhengzhou and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Zhengzhou about 60% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Zhengzhou, where all-in costs run around $661, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Zhengzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Zhengzhou is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 60% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.