Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kanazawa and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Kanazawa: $1,277 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Kanazawa
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Kanazawa Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Kanazawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,277

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,277 per month in Kanazawa vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Kanazawa $1,277
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $2,031 per month in Kanazawa vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Kanazawa $2,031
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $2,786 per month in Kanazawa vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Kanazawa $2,786
Medellin $3,199

Kanazawa is about 21% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Kanazawa sits 6% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.64 ¥1,206

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-7.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.61 ¥4,994

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-32.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥747

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-48.81%

Cappuccino

$2.26 ¥358

$3.05 COP 9,676

-25.90%

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

$1.14 ¥180

$1.80 COP 5,707

-36.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥91.2

$1.38 COP 4,382

-57.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 ¥320

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-37.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 ¥368

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-58.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥245

$1.50 COP 4,760

3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 ¥208

$2.37 COP 7,508

-44.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 ¥837

$1.70 COP 5,377

211.76%

Eggs

$2.07 ¥327

$2.96 COP 9,379

-30.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.52 ¥1,978

$10.22 COP 32.4K

22.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 ¥1,487

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-3.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.96 ¥5,049

$13.90 COP 44.1K

129.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 ¥572

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-12.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥360

$1.53 COP 4,839

49.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.48 ¥1,024

$2.22 COP 7,052

191.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥655

$2.27 COP 7,194

82.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 ¥589

$1.99 COP 6,311

87.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.42 ¥540

$1.67 COP 5,285

104.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.18 COP 3,742

8.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥163

$1.24 COP 3,919

-16.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.55 ¥561

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-8.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 ¥1,327

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-39.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 ¥310

$1.66 COP 5,256

18.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ¥239

$2.40 COP 7,615

-36.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.24 COP 3,944

20.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 ¥8,598

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-30.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ¥491

$1.28 COP 4,044

142.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 ¥508

$2.15 COP 6,803

49.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.21 ¥4,140

$8.37 COP 26.5K

213.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.35 COP 4,288

-17.78%

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

$20.3K ¥3.2M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-41.56%

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

$16.4K ¥2.6M

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-52.66%

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

$148 ¥23.3K

$167 COP 528.4K

-11.35%

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

$24.34 ¥3,845

$13.62 COP 43.2K

78.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.30 ¥6,840

$29.12 COP 92.3K

48.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.68 ¥6,743

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-5.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 ¥1,812

$6.97 COP 22.1K

64.56%

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

$320 ¥50.6K

$790 COP 2.5M

-59.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,140 ¥970.0K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-32.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.59 ¥7,834

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-43.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.27 ¥3,993

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-56.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.94 ¥7,258

$139 COP 440.7K

-66.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 ¥10.3K

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-34.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 ¥85.1K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-47.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 ¥51.6K

$620 COP 2.0M

-47.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 ¥173.7K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-41.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 ¥118.3K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-25.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,294 ¥678.4K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

7.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,742 ¥275.3K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

2.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,857 ¥293.4K

$663 COP 2.1M

180.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.28

10.94

-79.16%

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

Last update for Kanazawa: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kanazawa

$382 29.9%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 22.1% $84

Accommodation & Living

Kanazawa

$327 25.6%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 89.7% $293

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kanazawa

$215 16.9%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 2.8% $6

Eating Out

Kanazawa

$124 9.7%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 37.7% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Kanazawa

$84 6.5%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 107% $89

Getting Around

Kanazawa

$80 6.2%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 19.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Kanazawa

$66 5.1%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 10% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $539 in Kanazawa versus $1,028 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 run about 180% higher in Kanazawa, 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 $32.00 in Kanazawa versus $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Kanazawa vs $298 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kanazawa

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:13 10:13 AM

20:13 8:13 PM

14 h behind Kanazawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

465,699

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Between locations

Kanazawa Medellin 14,190 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Kanazawa
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

Kanazawa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,277 in Kanazawa, $1,625 in Medellin – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,916 per month in Kanazawa and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kanazawa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,277 in Kanazawa and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 27%.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Kanazawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kanazawa, where all-in costs run around $1,277, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Kanazawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,277 in Kanazawa to $1,625 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Kanazawa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.