Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fukushima Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fukushima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,229 in Fukushima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,935 in Fukushima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,641 in Fukushima.

Living in Medellin is roughly 37% more expensive than in Fukushima, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Fukushima is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 24.9K

$6.52 ¥1,013

23.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 148.7K

$33.03 ¥5,129

44.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.7K

$5.11 ¥793

93.54%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,724

$3.12 ¥484

0.32%

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

$1.91 COP 5,928

$1.19 ¥184

60.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,692

$0.76 ¥118

98.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,705

$2.73 ¥423

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.24 ¥502

77.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,489

$1.71 ¥266

-15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,725

$1.52 ¥236

63.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,510

$4.18 ¥649

-57.66%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,195

$1.83 ¥284

61.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.3K

$9.98 ¥1,549

0.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.4K

$6.18 ¥960

63.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.4K

$17.03 ¥2,645

-16.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.8K

$5.12 ¥795

-19.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 4,997

$2.23 ¥346

-27.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,976

$2.71 ¥421

-16.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,997

$4.74 ¥736

-52.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,347

$2.71 ¥421

-24.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,769

$2.56 ¥397

-39.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,635

$1.12 ¥174

4.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,059

$0.78 ¥121

67.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.1K

$3.42 ¥531

14.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$8.23 ¥1,278

70.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,415

$1.74 ¥271

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,917

$2.43 ¥378

18.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,776

$1.49 ¥231

-18.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 250.0K

$51.9 ¥8,057

55.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,066

$3.09 ¥480

-57.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,796

$2.52 ¥392

-13.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.1K

$19.69 ¥3,058

-55.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,241

$1.23 ¥191

11.38%

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

$27.8K COP 86.5M

$20.5K ¥3.2M

35.66%

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

$35.8K COP 111.1M

$13.3K ¥2.1M

169.12%

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

$177 COP 550.8K

$155 ¥24.1K

14.21%

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

$13.88 COP 43.1K

$26.94 ¥4,184

-48.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.4K

$36.11 ¥5,608

-17.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 139.4K

$55.8 ¥8,672

-19.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.2K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$13.90 ¥2,159

-52.16%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$515 ¥80.0K

57.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.5M

$12.4K ¥1.9M

-25.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 278.0K

$47.34 ¥7,351

89.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 183.2K

$37.39 ¥5,806

57.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 429.4K

$63.7 ¥9,891

116.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 317.3K

$99.2 ¥15.4K

2.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$507 ¥78.7K

109.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$332 ¥51.6K

99.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,169 ¥181.5K

61.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$795 ¥123.4K

29.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.0M

$4,016 ¥623.6K

4.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$2,035 ¥316.1K

-17.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.09

423.44%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Fukushima: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $507 in Fukushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $33.00 in Fukushima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $299 per month, with Fukushima 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

Medellin vs Fukushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukushima is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,843 in Fukushima 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $507 in Fukushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Fukushima – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,229 in Fukushima versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fukushima but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Fukushima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fukushima is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Fukushima 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 Fukushima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.