Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hamamatsu Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hamamatsu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $784 in Hamamatsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,297 in Hamamatsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,810 in Hamamatsu.

Living in Medellin is roughly 114% more expensive than in Hamamatsu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Hamamatsu is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.91 ¥610

105.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$42.33 ¥6,605

13.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.15 ¥804

92.04%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.46 ¥539

-9.54%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.12 ¥175

70.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.76 ¥118

98.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.61 ¥407

19.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.30 ¥515

74.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.06 ¥165

35.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.73 ¥270

43.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$3.81 ¥595

-53.54%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.69 ¥263

75.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$12.23 ¥1,908

-17.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$6.19 ¥965

63.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$14.72 ¥2,296

-2.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$5.71 ¥892

-27.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.87 ¥449

-43.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.87 ¥448

-21.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$4.21 ¥657

-46.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.62 ¥408

-22.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.70 ¥422

-42.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.32 ¥206

-11.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.67 ¥105

95.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.81 ¥595

2.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.34 ¥989

120.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.86 ¥290

-6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.05 ¥320

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$51.7 ¥8,062

55.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$3.25 ¥508

-59.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.57 ¥402

-14.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$20.64 ¥3,221

-57.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.09 ¥170

25.69%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$21.9K ¥3.4M

27.11%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$18.4K ¥2.9M

94.87%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$134 ¥20.9K

32.34%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$9.28 ¥1,448

49.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$32.89 ¥5,131

-9.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$17.35 ¥2,706

-1.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$13.07 ¥2,040

-49.12%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$652 ¥101.7K

24.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

-39.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$63.7 ¥9,934

40.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$32.90 ¥5,133

79.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$63.8 ¥9,957

116.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$103 ¥16.1K

-1.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$8,047 ¥1.3M

-48.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$5,552 ¥866.2K

-69.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,614 ¥251.8K

-58.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.12

416.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Hamamatsu: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Hamamatsu pays 138% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $42.00 in Hamamatsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $293 per month, with Hamamatsu 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 Hamamatsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Hamamatsu differ by about 114% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $784 including rent). Hamamatsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 138% lower in Hamamatsu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamamatsu – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $784 in Hamamatsu versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hamamatsu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Hamamatsu 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, Medellin and Hamamatsu 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 Hamamatsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.