Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Akita

For one person, living is cheaper in Akita: $1,214 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Akita
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Akita Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Akita

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,214

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Akita

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Akita actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,214 in Akita, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Akita $1,214

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,905 in Akita, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Akita $1,905

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,596 in Akita, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Akita $2,596

Medellin costs about 35% more than Akita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Akita is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$6.17 ¥974

31.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$31.41 ¥4,957

49.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.85 ¥766

95.88%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$3.54 ¥559

-14.97%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.95 ¥150

89.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.79 ¥125

78.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.87 ¥295

70.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$3.21 ¥506

79.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.52 ¥240

-0.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$1.56 ¥246

52.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$4.05 ¥640

-56.30%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$2.03 ¥320

42.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$8.91 ¥1,406

14.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$6.52 ¥1,030

51.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$18.54 ¥2,926

-24.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$3.18 ¥502

24.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$2.19 ¥346

-29.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$2.99 ¥472

-27.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$3.67 ¥580

-40.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$2.21 ¥349

-11.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$2.17 ¥342

-26.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$1.30 ¥205

-11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.93 ¥147

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$4.00 ¥632

-1.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$6.51 ¥1,028

110.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$2.08 ¥328

-20.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$2.16 ¥342

4.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$1.52 ¥239

-23.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$58.0 ¥9,147

33.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$3.36 ¥531

-62.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$2.85 ¥450

-28.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$19.26 ¥3,040

-55.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.33 ¥211

1.50%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

53.73%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$15.5K ¥2.4M

123.58%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$136 ¥21.4K

24.98%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$22.78 ¥3,595

-40.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$31.87 ¥5,030

-11.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$51.6 ¥8,147

-15.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$12.77 ¥2,015

-45.89%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$684 ¥108.0K

16.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$13.1K ¥2.1M

-30.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$41.82 ¥6,601

102.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$46.28 ¥7,304

25.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$87.7 ¥13.8K

53.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$88.2 ¥13.9K

10.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$559 ¥88.2K

116.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$332 ¥52.5K

92.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,004 ¥158.5K

101.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$717 ¥113.2K

41.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$4,401 ¥694.6K

-5.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$2,332 ¥368.1K

-18.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,635 ¥258.0K

-59.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.21

395.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Akita: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Akita

$332 27.4% 48.2% $309

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Akita

$285 23.4% 4.2% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Akita

$190 15.7% 9.9% $21

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Akita

$129 10.6% 23.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Akita

$119 9.8% 29.7% $50

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Akita

$82 6.7% 12.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Akita

$77 6.4% 34.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $559 in Akita. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Akita are about 2.5 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $31 in Akita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $285 – making Akita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇵 Akita

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

11:52 11:52 AM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

307,672

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Akita 13,730 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Akita

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Medellin vs Akita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 35% more than Akita, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,821 in Akita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Akita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $559 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 25% less in Akita. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $684 in Akita. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,214 in Akita. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Akita – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Akita is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 26% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.