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: $1,269 in Kumamoto versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,963 in Kumamoto versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,658 in Kumamoto versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Kumamoto is roughly 25% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kumamoto 5% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.44 ¥1,350

$5.99 COP 21.4K

40.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.17 ¥5,466

$32.86 COP 117.2K

3.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 ¥993

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-12.41%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥493

$1.71 COP 6,105

80.12%

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

$0.66 ¥105

$1.10 COP 3,918

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥132

$0.78 COP 2,776

5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 ¥271

$1.68 COP 5,987

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥342

$3.07 COP 10.9K

-30.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥219

$1.09 COP 3,899

25.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ¥253

$1.26 COP 4,500

25.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 ¥657

$1.38 COP 4,914

197.83%

Eggs

$2.06 ¥329

$2.19 COP 7,813

-5.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 ¥1,604

$4.40 COP 15.7K

127.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 ¥964

$5.63 COP 20.1K

7.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.17 ¥3,386

$8.89 COP 31.7K

138.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 ¥496

$2.34 COP 8,334

32.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥228

$1.06 COP 3,771

33.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 ¥226

$1.50 COP 5,365

-6.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 ¥936

$1.38 COP 4,915

323.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 ¥435

$1.15 COP 4,104

136.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 ¥515

$1.16 COP 4,148

177.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 ¥155

$0.89 COP 3,176

8.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥121

$0.84 COP 2,992

-9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.93 ¥629

$2.28 COP 8,131

72.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 ¥897

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-47.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥304

$1.20 COP 4,276

58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥337

$2.47 COP 8,809

-14.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 ¥267

$0.86 COP 3,051

94.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ¥9,001

$41.40 COP 147.6K

35.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.72 ¥755

$1.47 COP 5,255

221.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 ¥480

$1.96 COP 6,997

53.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.29 ¥3,085

$7.74 COP 27.6K

149.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥190

$0.95 COP 3,403

25.26%

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

$23.0K ¥3.7M

$18.1K COP 64.6M

26.86%

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

$20.1K ¥3.2M

$26.5K COP 94.4M

-23.93%

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

$213 ¥34.1K

$82.3 COP 293.2K

159.42%

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

$26.96 ¥4,312

$9.50 COP 33.9K

183.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.73 ¥5,715

$24.23 COP 86.4K

47.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 ¥8,949

$25.89 COP 92.3K

116.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ¥2,246

$19.00 COP 67.7K

-26.11%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 ¥2,184

$3.93 COP 14.0K

247.33%

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

$408 ¥65.2K

$309 COP 1.1M

31.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$5,965 COP 21.3M

121.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.84 ¥7,013

$58.7 COP 209.1K

-25.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.57 ¥4,730

$32.35 COP 115.3K

-8.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.9 ¥10.4K

$103 COP 365.7K

-36.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.1 ¥9,613

$108 COP 386.5K

-44.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥74.5K

$476 COP 1.7M

-2.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ¥52.0K

$379 COP 1.4M

-14.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 ¥138.7K

$838 COP 3.0M

3.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 ¥106.2K

$724 COP 2.6M

-8.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,290 ¥686.2K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

53.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,396 ¥383.2K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

97.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

13.43

-87.57%

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

Last update for Kumamoto: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $466 in Kumamoto and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Kumamoto vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $188 per month, with Medellin 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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,269 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,903 in Kumamoto and $1,519 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: $466 in Kumamoto versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 36% less than in Kumamoto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $408 in Kumamoto versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,269 in Kumamoto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Kumamoto. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Kumamoto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.