Cost of Living Comparison Between Kumamoto and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kumamoto and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,241 in Kumamoto versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,936 in Kumamoto versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,630 in Kumamoto versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Kumamoto costs roughly 28% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kumamoto is 10% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.00 ¥1,094

$8.03 COP 25.1K

-12.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.81 ¥4,814

$48.26 COP 150.8K

-36.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 ¥862

$9.77 COP 30.5K

-43.50%

Cappuccino

$3.21 ¥501

$2.91 COP 9,095

10.31%

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

$1.03 ¥161

$1.94 COP 6,074

-46.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 ¥105

$1.52 COP 4,754

-55.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ¥600

$3.09 COP 9,663

24.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥336

$5.74 COP 17.9K

-62.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥200

$1.36 COP 4,262

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ¥287

$2.39 COP 7,460

-23.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.33 ¥989

$1.70 COP 5,314

272.35%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥298

$2.87 COP 8,967

-33.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.11 ¥2,829

$9.94 COP 31.1K

82.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 ¥824

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-51.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.66 ¥2,603

$14.73 COP 46.0K

13.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 ¥560

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-12.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ¥291

$1.57 COP 4,911

18.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 ¥439

$2.13 COP 6,642

31.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 ¥521

$2.21 COP 6,917

50.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 ¥328

$2.05 COP 6,396

2.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 ¥409

$1.50 COP 4,700

74.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ¥160

$1.19 COP 3,718

-13.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ¥151

$1.16 COP 3,619

-16.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥599

$3.90 COP 12.2K

-1.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 ¥871

$14.44 COP 45.1K

-61.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥263

$1.58 COP 4,948

6.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ¥291

$2.83 COP 8,836

-34.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ¥215

$1.17 COP 3,650

17.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.2 ¥9,554

$77.7 COP 242.9K

-21.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 ¥595

$1.28 COP 4,014

197.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 ¥310

$2.09 COP 6,537

-5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.83 ¥2,786

$8.62 COP 26.9K

106.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥172

$1.30 COP 4,056

-15.38%

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

$21.3K ¥3.3M

$27.7K COP 86.4M

-23.11%

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

$17.4K ¥2.7M

$35.5K COP 110.9M

-51.08%

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

$211 ¥32.9K

$176 COP 550.1K

19.76%

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

$24.54 ¥3,834

$13.37 COP 41.8K

83.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.87 ¥5,136

$29.89 COP 93.4K

9.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.03 ¥6,879

$44.76 COP 139.8K

-1.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$10.88 ¥1,699

$6.20 COP 19.4K

75.48%

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

$126 ¥19.6K

$793 COP 2.5M

-84.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥1.9M

$9,019 COP 28.2M

33.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.30 ¥5,828

$85.6 COP 267.5K

-56.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.77 ¥3,714

$58.5 COP 182.7K

-59.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.0 ¥9,367

$136 COP 425.9K

-56.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.57 ¥7,275

$103 COP 322.2K

-54.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 ¥73.9K

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-55.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 ¥51.5K

$680 COP 2.1M

-51.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥164.8K

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-47.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 ¥114.9K

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-37.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,127 ¥644.7K

$4,111 COP 12.8M

0.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,772 ¥276.8K

$1,701 COP 5.3M

4.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.97

10.94

-81.99%

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

Last update for Kumamoto: September 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $473 in Kumamoto and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Kumamoto vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $303 per month, with Kumamoto 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

Kumamoto vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kumamoto and Medellin differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,241 vs $1,716 including rent). Kumamoto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,862 in Kumamoto 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: $473 in Kumamoto versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kumamoto runs roughly 27% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $126 in Kumamoto versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,241 in Kumamoto versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kumamoto but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kumamoto 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, Kumamoto 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 Kumamoto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.