Cost of Living Comparison Between Kobe and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kobe and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,387 in Kobe versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,094 in Kobe versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,802 in Kobe versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Kobe costs roughly 15% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kobe 1% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.00 ¥1,228

$8.04 COP 24.8K

-0.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.46 ¥4,985

$48.29 COP 148.6K

-32.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 ¥756

$9.42 COP 29.0K

-47.77%

Cappuccino

$2.43 ¥372

$2.94 COP 9,040

-17.35%

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

$1.16 ¥179

$1.86 COP 5,735

-37.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥91.5

$1.46 COP 4,479

-58.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ¥327

$3.21 COP 9,882

-33.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ¥353

$5.71 COP 17.6K

-59.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥234

$1.44 COP 4,428

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ¥205

$2.40 COP 7,389

-44.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 ¥659

$1.70 COP 5,228

152.35%

Eggs

$2.13 ¥327

$2.89 COP 8,896

-26.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.04 ¥2,003

$10.06 COP 30.9K

29.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.20 ¥1,105

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-27.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.91 ¥2,750

$14.20 COP 43.7K

26.13%

Apples (1kg)

$8.06 ¥1,238

$3.98 COP 12.3K

102.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 ¥483

$1.58 COP 4,878

99.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.99 ¥766

$2.15 COP 6,624

132.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.82 ¥1,200

$2.30 COP 7,078

240.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.79 ¥582

$2.00 COP 6,169

89.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 ¥557

$1.51 COP 4,646

140.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ¥185

$1.20 COP 3,701

0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥139

$1.28 COP 3,946

-29.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 ¥536

$3.84 COP 11.8K

-9.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.45 ¥1,297

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-39.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥322

$1.71 COP 5,256

22.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥232

$2.74 COP 8,440

-44.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 ¥226

$1.25 COP 3,834

17.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.7 ¥9,936

$77.9 COP 239.7K

-16.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ¥509

$1.31 COP 4,016

152.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 ¥486

$2.17 COP 6,680

46.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.96 ¥4,139

$8.29 COP 25.5K

225.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥175

$1.36 COP 4,172

-16.18%

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

$20.2K ¥3.1M

$27.5K COP 84.5M

-26.62%

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

$15.9K ¥2.4M

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-56.57%

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

$121 ¥18.6K

$169 COP 519.2K

-28.35%

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

$23.91 ¥3,671

$13.57 COP 41.8K

76.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.59 ¥4,850

$28.32 COP 87.2K

11.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.64 ¥7,315

$45.71 COP 140.7K

4.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ¥1,815

$17.22 COP 53.0K

-31.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 ¥1,768

$6.65 COP 20.5K

73.23%

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

$335 ¥51.5K

$803 COP 2.5M

-58.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,277 ¥963.8K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

-31.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ¥7,900

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-41.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.95 ¥3,985

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-56.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.85 ¥7,194

$139 COP 427.5K

-66.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.0 ¥10.3K

$102 COP 314.0K

-34.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$691 ¥106.1K

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-35.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 ¥73.2K

$653 COP 2.0M

-26.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 ¥166.8K

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-43.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 ¥115.7K

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-28.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,452 ¥683.6K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

7.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,997 ¥460.3K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

76.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,047 ¥314.3K

$655 COP 2.0M

212.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.66

10.94

-84.83%

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

Last update for Kobe: September 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $691 in Kobe and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kobe pays 212% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Kobe vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $366 vs $300, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Kobe vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kobe wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kobe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 212% higher in Kobe, 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: $691 in Kobe versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kobe runs roughly 20% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $335 in Kobe versus $803 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,387 in Kobe versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kobe but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kobe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kobe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,387 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kobe hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kobe 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 Kobe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.