Cost of Living Comparison Between Kurume and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kurume and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,019 in Kurume versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,606 in Kurume versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,194 in Kurume versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Kurume is roughly 1% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.79 ¥766

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-20.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.36 ¥6,616

$32.86 COP 117.2K

25.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.06 ¥649

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-42.74%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ¥323

$1.71 COP 6,105

18.13%

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

$0.80 ¥128

$1.10 COP 3,918

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥95.0

$0.78 COP 2,776

-24.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 ¥552

$1.68 COP 5,987

105.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥273

$3.07 COP 10.9K

-44.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ¥227

$1.09 COP 3,899

30.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ¥218

$1.26 COP 4,500

8.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 ¥679

$1.38 COP 4,914

207.25%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥342

$2.19 COP 7,813

-2.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 ¥1,628

$4.40 COP 15.7K

131.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 ¥976

$5.63 COP 20.1K

8.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.39 ¥3,261

$8.89 COP 31.7K

129.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 ¥504

$2.34 COP 8,334

34.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 ¥229

$1.06 COP 3,771

34.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 ¥227

$1.50 COP 5,365

-5.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 ¥955

$1.38 COP 4,915

332.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 ¥456

$1.15 COP 4,104

147.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.20 ¥512

$1.16 COP 4,148

175.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ¥159

$0.89 COP 3,176

11.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥128

$0.84 COP 2,992

-4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 ¥609

$2.28 COP 8,131

67.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 ¥990

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-41.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ¥319

$1.20 COP 4,276

65.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 ¥199

$2.47 COP 8,809

-49.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥255

$0.86 COP 3,051

86.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.8 ¥8,763

$41.40 COP 147.6K

32.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 ¥739

$1.47 COP 5,255

214.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 ¥461

$1.96 COP 6,997

46.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.64 ¥3,141

$7.74 COP 27.6K

153.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ¥106

$0.95 COP 3,403

-30.53%

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

$23.0K ¥3.7M

$18.1K COP 64.6M

27.10%

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

$20.3K ¥3.3M

$26.5K COP 94.4M

-23.19%

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

$213 ¥34.1K

$82.3 COP 293.2K

159.05%

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

$26.86 ¥4,295

$9.50 COP 33.9K

182.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.14 ¥4,021

$24.23 COP 86.4K

3.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 ¥8,912

$25.89 COP 92.3K

115.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.93 ¥2,227

$19.00 COP 67.7K

-26.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 ¥1,204

$3.93 COP 14.0K

91.35%

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

$423 ¥67.6K

$309 COP 1.1M

36.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$5,965 COP 21.3M

120.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.55 ¥6,966

$58.7 COP 209.1K

-25.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.64 ¥2,182

$32.35 COP 115.3K

-57.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$27.11 ¥4,337

$103 COP 365.7K

-73.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.11 ¥5,616

$108 COP 386.5K

-67.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 ¥32.6K

$476 COP 1.7M

-57.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 ¥22.0K

$379 COP 1.4M

-63.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 ¥83.3K

$838 COP 3.0M

-37.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ¥56.2K

$724 COP 2.6M

-51.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,879 ¥780.4K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

74.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,517 ¥402.5K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

107.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,526 ¥244.1K

$512 COP 1.8M

198.18%

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 Kurume: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $204 in Kurume and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 198% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $41.00 in Kurume 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

Kurume vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kurume and Medellin differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,019 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kurume pays 198% more on average, 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: $204 in Kurume versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Kurume. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $41.00 in Kurume. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,019 in Kurume, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Kurume. 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.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Kurume. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.