Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kamakura and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Kamakura: $1,165 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kamakura, Japan
Medellin, Colombia
Kamakura
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,165
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,165 in Kamakura versus $1,639 in Medellin.

  • Kamakura $1,165
  • Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,822 in Kamakura versus $2,413 in Medellin.

  • Kamakura $1,822
  • Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,478 in Kamakura versus $3,186 in Medellin.

  • Kamakura $2,478
  • Medellin $3,186

Living in Kamakura costs roughly 29% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kamakura is 14% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kamakura
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.44 ¥1,015
$8.09 COP 26.1K
-20.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.61 ¥4,984
$47.05 COP 151.9K
-32.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.98 ¥785
$9.50 COP 30.7K
-47.58%
Cappuccino
$2.59 ¥409
$3.01 COP 9,735
-13.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11 ¥175
$1.80 COP 5,809
-38.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 ¥116
$1.41 COP 4,561
-47.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ¥403
$3.18 COP 10.3K
-19.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 ¥506
$5.75 COP 18.6K
-44.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kamakura
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 ¥228
$1.51 COP 4,876
-4.64%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 ¥237
$2.38 COP 7,678
-36.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.70 ¥584
$1.77 COP 5,720
109.04%
Eggs
$2.02 ¥318
$2.89 COP 9,333
-30.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.49 ¥1,654
$10.19 COP 32.9K
2.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.92 ¥933
$9.87 COP 31.9K
-40.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.54 ¥2,293
$13.99 COP 45.2K
3.93%
Apples (1kg)
$5.67 ¥895
$3.97 COP 12.8K
42.82%
Banana (1kg)
$2.71 ¥428
$1.55 COP 5,012
74.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 ¥444
$2.18 COP 7,048
29.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.16 ¥656
$2.18 COP 7,051
90.83%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 ¥415
$1.96 COP 6,337
34.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.57 ¥405
$1.59 COP 5,132
61.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ¥178
$1.15 COP 3,699
-1.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 ¥129
$1.24 COP 4,014
-33.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.74 ¥589
$3.96 COP 12.8K
-5.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.52 ¥1,027
$13.68 COP 44.2K
-52.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.83 ¥289
$1.66 COP 5,359
10.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 ¥330
$2.26 COP 7,291
-7.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Kamakura
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.50 ¥237
$1.17 COP 3,771
28.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.1 ¥8,379
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-31.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.15 ¥496
$1.27 COP 4,094
148.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.63 ¥414
$2.05 COP 6,612
28.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.63 ¥2,465
$8.55 COP 27.6K
82.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 ¥176
$1.35 COP 4,349
-17.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.9K ¥3.4M
$34.1K COP 110.0M
-35.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.0K ¥2.4M
$34.7K COP 111.9M
-56.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kamakura
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$115 ¥18.2K
$170 COP 547.8K
-31.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.20 ¥3,658
$13.55 COP 43.8K
71.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.50 ¥4,966
$28.07 COP 90.6K
12.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kamakura
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 ¥8,141
$43.70 COP 141.1K
18.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.92 ¥2,037
$6.91 COP 22.3K
86.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kamakura
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$695 ¥109.6K
$797 COP 2.6M
-12.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.6K ¥2.3M
$9,112 COP 29.4M
60.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kamakura
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.2 ¥8,068
$84.7 COP 273.5K
-39.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.94 ¥5,668
$58.0 COP 187.2K
-37.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$60.3 ¥9,502
$135 COP 435.8K
-55.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.3 ¥15.3K
$97.9 COP 316.0K
-0.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kamakura
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$559 ¥88.2K
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-53.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$321 ¥50.5K
$642 COP 2.1M
-50.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,094 ¥172.5K
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-46.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ¥102.4K
$1,012 COP 3.3M
-35.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,071 ¥641.9K
$4,170 COP 13.5M
-2.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,427 ¥382.6K
$1,910 COP 6.2M
27.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kamakura
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,810 ¥285.3K
$657 COP 2.1M
175.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.02
10.94
-81.54%

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

Last update for Kamakura: 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
Kamakura
$321
Medellin
$642 100% $321
Groceries & Markets
Kamakura
$288
Medellin
$297 3.3% $9.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kamakura
$170
Medellin
$211 24.1% $41
Eating Out
Kamakura
$124
Medellin
$170 36.6% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Kamakura
$110
Medellin
$169 53.5% $59
Sport & Entertainment
Kamakura
$77
Medellin
$58 25.7% $20
Getting Around
Kamakura
$75
Medellin
$94 24% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $559 in Kamakura and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kamakura pays about 2.8 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Kamakura vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $297 per month, with Kamakura cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Kamakura
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
23:29 11:29 PM
09:29 9:29 AM
14 h behind Kamakura
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
172,710
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kamakura Medellin 14,110 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kamakura
  • 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
Kamakura vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kamakura cheaper than Medellin?
Kamakura is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Kamakura or Medellin?
Average pay in Kamakura is about 2.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Kamakura and Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $559 in Kamakura versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $695 in Kamakura versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Kamakura and in Medellin?
Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Kamakura or in Medellin?
At $1,165 in Kamakura versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kamakura but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kamakura the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Kamakura or in Medellin?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Kamakura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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