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: $1,161 in Ichikawa versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,835 in Ichikawa versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,509 in Ichikawa versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Ichikawa costs roughly 32% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ichikawa is 16% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.95 ¥771

$8.03 COP 25.2K

-38.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.85 ¥4,957

$48.26 COP 151.7K

-34.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.45 ¥692

$9.77 COP 30.7K

-54.45%

Cappuccino

$2.14 ¥332

$2.91 COP 9,149

-26.46%

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

$0.71 ¥110

$1.94 COP 6,110

-63.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥60.4

$1.52 COP 4,783

-74.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 ¥382

$3.09 COP 9,721

-20.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 ¥480

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-46.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 ¥212

$1.36 COP 4,287

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥269

$2.39 COP 7,505

-27.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 ¥558

$1.70 COP 5,346

111.18%

Eggs

$2.08 ¥324

$2.87 COP 9,021

-27.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 ¥1,796

$9.94 COP 31.2K

16.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 ¥955

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-43.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.28 ¥2,223

$14.73 COP 46.3K

-3.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.70 ¥886

$4.09 COP 12.8K

39.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 ¥431

$1.57 COP 4,940

76.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 ¥437

$2.13 COP 6,682

31.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 ¥628

$2.21 COP 6,959

82.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 ¥385

$2.05 COP 6,435

20.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥398

$1.50 COP 4,728

70.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ¥191

$1.19 COP 3,740

3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥117

$1.16 COP 3,640

-35.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 ¥581

$3.90 COP 12.2K

-4.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.12 ¥952

$14.44 COP 45.4K

-57.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ¥277

$1.58 COP 4,978

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ¥325

$2.83 COP 8,889

-26.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 ¥208

$1.17 COP 3,672

14.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.0 ¥9,646

$77.7 COP 244.3K

-20.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ¥477

$1.28 COP 4,038

139.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 ¥396

$2.09 COP 6,576

21.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.05 ¥3,120

$8.62 COP 27.1K

132.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥171

$1.30 COP 4,080

-15.38%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$27.7K COP 86.9M

-21.83%

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

$18.2K ¥2.8M

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-48.77%

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

$129 ¥20.1K

$176 COP 553.4K

-26.57%

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

$23.65 ¥3,681

$13.37 COP 42.0K

76.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.99 ¥4,979

$29.89 COP 94.0K

7.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 ¥8,412

$44.76 COP 140.7K

20.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$12.73 ¥1,981

$6.20 COP 19.5K

105.32%

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

$631 ¥98.2K

$793 COP 2.5M

-20.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ¥2.2M

$9,019 COP 28.4M

59.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 ¥9,753

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-26.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.00 ¥4,981

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-45.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 ¥9,495

$136 COP 428.4K

-55.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ¥16.0K

$103 COP 324.1K

-0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ¥74.9K

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-54.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 ¥52.8K

$680 COP 2.1M

-50.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 ¥164.1K

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-47.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$783 ¥121.9K

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-33.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,122 ¥641.6K

$4,111 COP 12.9M

0.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,968 ¥306.2K

$1,701 COP 5.3M

15.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.12

10.94

-80.62%

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

Last update for Ichikawa: August 29, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Ichikawa and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ichikawa vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $303 per month, with Ichikawa 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 48% in total monthly costs ($1,161 vs $1,716 including rent). Ichikawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,741 in Ichikawa and $2,574 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: $481 in Ichikawa versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ichikawa – 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 $1,161 in Ichikawa versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ichikawa but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ichikawa 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 Ichikawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.