Cost of Living Comparison Between Kawagoe and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kawagoe and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,221 in Kawagoe versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,977 in Kawagoe versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,733 in Kawagoe versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Kawagoe costs roughly 26% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kawagoe is 11% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.63 ¥1,017

$8.04 COP 24.8K

-17.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.66 ¥6,546

$48.29 COP 148.7K

-11.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 ¥786

$9.42 COP 29.0K

-45.65%

Cappuccino

$3.50 ¥538

$2.94 COP 9,045

19.05%

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

$0.93 ¥143

$1.86 COP 5,738

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥77.4

$1.46 COP 4,481

-65.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ¥296

$3.21 COP 9,887

-39.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ¥431

$5.71 COP 17.6K

-50.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥183

$1.44 COP 4,431

-17.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ¥198

$2.40 COP 7,393

-46.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 ¥581

$1.70 COP 5,230

122.94%

Eggs

$2.13 ¥327

$2.89 COP 8,901

-26.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.34 ¥973

$10.06 COP 31.0K

-36.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 ¥927

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-39.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 ¥2,271

$14.20 COP 43.7K

4.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 ¥912

$3.98 COP 12.3K

49.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 ¥358

$1.58 COP 4,880

47.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ¥446

$2.15 COP 6,627

35.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ¥495

$2.30 COP 7,082

40.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 ¥416

$2.00 COP 6,172

35.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ¥295

$1.51 COP 4,648

27.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ¥195

$1.20 COP 3,703

5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥118

$1.28 COP 3,948

-39.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥612

$3.84 COP 11.8K

3.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.89 ¥750

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-65.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ¥285

$1.71 COP 5,259

8.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ¥321

$2.74 COP 8,444

-23.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 ¥474

$1.25 COP 3,836

147.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$162 ¥24.8K

$77.9 COP 239.9K

107.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ¥508

$1.31 COP 4,018

152.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 ¥393

$2.17 COP 6,684

17.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.09 ¥3,236

$8.29 COP 25.5K

154.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥170

$1.36 COP 4,174

-18.38%

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

$16.1K ¥2.5M

$27.5K COP 84.6M

-41.45%

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

$13.1K ¥2.0M

$36.5K COP 112.5M

-64.10%

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

$137 ¥21.0K

$169 COP 519.5K

-18.85%

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

$22.78 ¥3,496

$13.57 COP 41.8K

67.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.01 ¥5,064

$28.32 COP 87.2K

16.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 ¥6,887

$45.71 COP 140.8K

-1.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.59 ¥5,000

$17.22 COP 53.0K

89.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 ¥1,754

$6.65 COP 20.5K

71.88%

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

$325 ¥49.9K

$803 COP 2.5M

-59.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,361 ¥975.9K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

-30.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.02 ¥4,913

$87.4 COP 269.0K

-63.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.49 ¥5,139

$59.4 COP 182.8K

-43.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.80 ¥7,027

$139 COP 427.7K

-67.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 ¥14.9K

$102 COP 314.2K

-4.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 ¥64.3K

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-60.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 ¥43.2K

$653 COP 2.0M

-56.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 ¥134.1K

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-54.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$609 ¥93.4K

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-41.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ¥390.6K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-38.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,288 ¥197.7K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

-24.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 ¥251.3K

$655 COP 2.0M

150.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.6

10.94

-85.37%

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

Last update for Kawagoe: September 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $419 in Kawagoe and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kawagoe pays 150% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Kawagoe vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $300 per month, with Kawagoe 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

Kawagoe vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kawagoe and Medellin differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,221 vs $1,641 including rent). Kawagoe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 150% higher in Kawagoe, 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: $419 in Kawagoe versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kawagoe – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,221 per month in Kawagoe versus $1,641 in Medellin – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,221 in Kawagoe versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kawagoe but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kawagoe 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, Kawagoe 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 Kawagoe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.