Cost of Living Comparison Between Ichikawa and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ichikawa and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,152 in Ichikawa versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Ichikawa versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,515 in Ichikawa versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Ichikawa is roughly 14% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ichikawa 14% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.78 ¥1,085

$5.99 COP 21.4K

13.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.74 ¥5,557

$32.86 COP 117.2K

5.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 ¥830

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-26.80%

Cappuccino

$3.19 ¥511

$1.71 COP 6,105

86.55%

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

$1.13 ¥181

$1.10 COP 3,918

2.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥122

$0.78 COP 2,776

-2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 ¥335

$1.68 COP 5,987

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥335

$3.07 COP 10.9K

-31.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥243

$1.09 COP 3,899

39.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥281

$1.26 COP 4,500

39.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.89 ¥782

$1.38 COP 4,914

254.35%

Eggs

$1.50 ¥240

$2.19 COP 7,813

-31.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 ¥1,615

$4.40 COP 15.7K

129.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 ¥1,006

$5.63 COP 20.1K

11.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ¥2,445

$8.89 COP 31.7K

71.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 ¥975

$2.34 COP 8,334

160.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 ¥513

$1.06 COP 3,771

202.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 ¥660

$1.50 COP 5,365

175.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 ¥746

$1.38 COP 4,915

237.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 ¥531

$1.15 COP 4,104

188.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.61 ¥577

$1.16 COP 4,148

211.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥220

$0.89 COP 3,176

55.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥131

$0.84 COP 2,992

-2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 ¥667

$2.28 COP 8,131

82.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.41 ¥1,504

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-11.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥278

$1.20 COP 4,276

45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ¥335

$2.47 COP 8,809

-15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 ¥255

$0.86 COP 3,051

84.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ¥8,846

$41.40 COP 147.6K

33.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ¥557

$1.47 COP 5,255

136.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 ¥463

$1.96 COP 6,997

47.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.36 ¥3,576

$7.74 COP 27.6K

188.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥185

$0.95 COP 3,403

21.05%

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

$23.3K ¥3.7M

$18.1K COP 64.6M

28.67%

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

$18.7K ¥3.0M

$26.5K COP 94.4M

-29.31%

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

$83.9 ¥13.4K

$82.3 COP 293.2K

2.05%

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

$27.82 ¥4,450

$9.50 COP 33.9K

192.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.43 ¥2,788

$24.23 COP 86.4K

-28.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 ¥8,823

$25.89 COP 92.3K

113.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.98 ¥2,235

$19.00 COP 67.7K

-26.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 ¥1,852

$3.93 COP 14.0K

194.66%

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

$282 ¥45.2K

$309 COP 1.1M

-8.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K ¥2.2M

$5,965 COP 21.3M

133.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.54 ¥6,644

$58.7 COP 209.1K

-29.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.08 ¥4,652

$32.35 COP 115.3K

-10.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.1 ¥9,608

$103 COP 365.7K

-41.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.9 ¥15.5K

$108 COP 386.5K

-10.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥75.9K

$476 COP 1.7M

-0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 ¥53.4K

$379 COP 1.4M

-11.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 ¥141.4K

$838 COP 3.0M

5.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$657 ¥105.1K

$724 COP 2.6M

-9.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,958 ¥793.1K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

77.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,642 ¥422.7K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

118.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-85.11%

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

Last update for Ichikawa: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Ichikawa and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ichikawa vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $188 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Ichikawa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ichikawa and Medellin differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,152 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,728 in Ichikawa and $1,519 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $474 in Ichikawa versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Ichikawa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $35.00 in Ichikawa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,152 in Ichikawa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ichikawa. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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, Ichikawa 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Ichikawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.