Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fukuoka and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukuoka: $1,307 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Fukuoka
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Fukuoka Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Fukuoka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,307

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,307 per month in Fukuoka vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Fukuoka $1,307
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,031 per month in Fukuoka vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Fukuoka $2,031
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,754 per month in Fukuoka vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Fukuoka $2,754
Medellin $3,186

Fukuoka is about 20% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Fukuoka sits 4% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 ¥1,158

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-9.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.83 ¥6,920

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-6.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.97 ¥942

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-37.16%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥587

$3.01 COP 9,485

23.59%

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

$1.06 ¥167

$1.80 COP 5,660

-41.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥118

$1.41 COP 4,443

-46.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 ¥608

$3.18 COP 9,990

21.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ¥340

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-62.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥245

$1.51 COP 4,751

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ¥288

$2.38 COP 7,480

-23.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.43 ¥1,015

$1.77 COP 5,573

263.28%

Eggs

$2.30 ¥364

$2.89 COP 9,093

-20.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.19 ¥2,872

$10.19 COP 32.1K

78.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 ¥843

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-45.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.96 ¥2,994

$13.99 COP 44.0K

35.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 ¥572

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-8.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ¥293

$1.55 COP 4,883

19.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 ¥446

$2.18 COP 6,867

29.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥526

$2.18 COP 6,870

52.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 ¥339

$1.96 COP 6,174

9.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ¥409

$1.59 COP 5,000

62.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ¥162

$1.15 COP 3,604

-10.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ¥154

$1.24 COP 3,911

-20.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 ¥628

$3.96 COP 12.5K

0.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.41 ¥1,012

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-53.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥270

$1.66 COP 5,221

3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥303

$2.26 COP 7,103

-15.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ¥204

$1.17 COP 3,674

10.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ¥8,352

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-31.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 ¥649

$1.27 COP 3,989

223.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.39 ¥377

$2.05 COP 6,442

16.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.92 ¥2,830

$8.55 COP 26.9K

109.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥174

$1.35 COP 4,237

-18.52%

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

$22.2K ¥3.5M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-34.92%

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

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-56.65%

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

$215 ¥33.9K

$170 COP 533.7K

26.75%

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

$25.33 ¥4,000

$13.55 COP 42.6K

86.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.10 ¥5,384

$28.07 COP 88.3K

21.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.11 ¥7,597

$43.70 COP 137.5K

10.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 ¥1,990

$6.91 COP 21.7K

82.49%

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

$702 ¥110.9K

$797 COP 2.5M

-11.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ¥2.0M

$9,112 COP 28.7M

35.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.84 ¥7,712

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-42.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.49 ¥4,182

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-54.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.8 ¥10.4K

$135 COP 424.6K

-51.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.48 ¥7,497

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-51.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥82.6K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-56.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥52.4K

$642 COP 2.0M

-48.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 ¥185.2K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-42.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 ¥112.0K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-29.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,674 ¥737.9K

$4,170 COP 13.1M

12.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,568 ¥405.5K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

34.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,647 ¥260.1K

$657 COP 2.1M

150.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.97

10.94

-81.99%

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

Last update for Fukuoka: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fukuoka

$332 25.4%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 93.5% $310

Groceries & Markets

Fukuoka

$317 24.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 6.2% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fukuoka

$274 21%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 23% $63

Eating Out

Fukuoka

$152 11.6%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 11.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Fukuoka

$85 6.5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 99.1% $84

Getting Around

Fukuoka

$74 5.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 26.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Fukuoka

$73 5.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 21.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $523 in Fukuoka 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 Fukuoka are about 2.5 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 $44 in Fukuoka versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $317 in Fukuoka vs $297 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Fukuoka

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

15:49 3:49 PM

14 h behind Fukuoka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,612,392

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 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 JPY in detail →

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Between locations

Fukuoka Medellin 14,800 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Fukuoka
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

Fukuoka vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,307 in Fukuoka, $1,639 in Medellin – Fukuoka comes out roughly 20% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,961 per month in Fukuoka 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 Fukuoka, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $523 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $702 per month in Fukuoka and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,307 in Fukuoka and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Fukuoka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,307 in Fukuoka to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.