Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibaraki and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibaraki and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,178 in Ibaraki versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,848 in Ibaraki versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,518 in Ibaraki versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Ibaraki costs roughly 30% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ibaraki is 14% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.63 ¥1,035

$8.02 COP 25.3K

-17.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.89 ¥4,979

$47.87 COP 151.0K

-33.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.30 ¥828

$9.89 COP 31.2K

-46.41%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ¥489

$3.13 COP 9,873

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

$1.16 ¥181

$1.91 COP 6,019

-39.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥119

$1.51 COP 4,763

-49.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ¥395

$3.12 COP 9,853

-18.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 ¥502

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-44.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.80 ¥437

$1.44 COP 4,558

94.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥243

$2.49 COP 7,843

-37.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 ¥679

$1.77 COP 5,595

145.20%

Eggs

$2.10 ¥328

$2.96 COP 9,336

-29.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 ¥1,747

$10.07 COP 31.8K

11.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ¥1,034

$10.12 COP 31.9K

-34.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 ¥2,713

$14.30 COP 45.1K

21.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 ¥765

$4.14 COP 13.0K

18.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ¥367

$1.61 COP 5,073

45.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ¥496

$2.25 COP 7,083

40.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 ¥676

$2.25 COP 7,104

92.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 ¥394

$2.04 COP 6,444

24.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ¥378

$1.54 COP 4,842

57.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥200

$1.17 COP 3,691

9.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥127

$1.31 COP 4,121

-38.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥590

$3.90 COP 12.3K

-3.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 ¥1,178

$14.01 COP 44.2K

-46.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥288

$1.74 COP 5,498

5.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥345

$2.87 COP 9,053

-23.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 ¥259

$1.22 COP 3,834

36.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.7 ¥9,167

$80.5 COP 253.9K

-27.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.80 ¥750

$1.31 COP 4,129

266.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 ¥444

$2.19 COP 6,899

30.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.73 ¥3,082

$8.71 COP 27.5K

126.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥182

$1.37 COP 4,306

-14.60%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$27.8K COP 87.8M

-19.79%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$35.8K COP 112.8M

-57.00%

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

$134 ¥20.8K

$177 COP 559.3K

-24.70%

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

$24.24 ¥3,786

$13.88 COP 43.8K

74.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.64 ¥4,941

$29.72 COP 93.8K

6.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ¥8,129

$44.88 COP 141.6K

15.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 ¥1,865

$6.65 COP 21.0K

79.55%

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

$552 ¥86.2K

$813 COP 2.6M

-32.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K ¥2.2M

$9,187 COP 29.0M

52.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.82 ¥4,189

$89.5 COP 282.3K

-70.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.01 ¥5,155

$59.0 COP 186.0K

-44.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 ¥10.6K

$138 COP 435.9K

-51.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 ¥12.6K

$102 COP 322.1K

-21.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 ¥63.3K

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-61.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 ¥41.4K

$663 COP 2.1M

-60.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 ¥161.4K

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-45.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥84.5K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-47.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,081 ¥637.4K

$4,183 COP 13.2M

-2.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 ¥317.6K

$1,675 COP 5.3M

21.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,572 ¥401.6K

$678 COP 2.1M

279.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

10.94

-80.90%

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

Last update for Ibaraki: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Ibaraki and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 279% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ibaraki vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $305, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Ibaraki vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibaraki and Medellin differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,178 vs $1,681 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 279% higher in Ibaraki, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $405 in Ibaraki versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibaraki – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,178 in Ibaraki versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ibaraki but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ibaraki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ibaraki and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ibaraki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.