Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Himeji

For one person, living is cheaper in Himeji: $1,283 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Himeji
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Himeji Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Himeji

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,283

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Himeji

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 Himeji actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,283 in Himeji, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Himeji $1,283

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $2,047 in Himeji, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Himeji $2,047

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,811 in Himeji, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Himeji $2,811

Medellin costs about 27% more than Himeji, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Himeji is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$8.46 ¥1,336

-1.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$31.07 ¥4,909

50.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$5.11 ¥807

80.82%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.35 ¥371

29.79%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.24 ¥196

45.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.82 ¥129

68.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$3.20 ¥505

1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.06 ¥483

81.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.56 ¥247

-3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.48 ¥233

60.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$4.12 ¥650

-58.74%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.18 ¥344

35.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$15.50 ¥2,449

-34.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$6.78 ¥1,072

43.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$16.88 ¥2,667

-17.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$8.37 ¥1,323

-50.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$2.97 ¥470

-48.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$5.06 ¥799

-56.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$7.86 ¥1,241

-71.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$3.90 ¥617

-48.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$4.70 ¥743

-64.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.12 ¥177

5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.89 ¥141

39.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$3.87 ¥611

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$9.74 ¥1,539

41.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.61 ¥412

-36.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.10 ¥332

14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.44 ¥228

-13.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$53.0 ¥8,373

47.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$3.13 ¥494

-59.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$2.82 ¥446

-23.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$15.45 ¥2,441

-45.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.07 ¥168

26.17%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

61.63%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

129.71%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$118 ¥18.6K

41.69%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$23.44 ¥3,704

-41.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$31.67 ¥5,003

-8.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$52.6 ¥8,314

-14.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$11.36 ¥1,795

-38.64%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$564 ¥89.1K

40.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$14.7K ¥2.3M

-38.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$49.92 ¥7,886

75.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$35.51 ¥5,611

63.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$61.6 ¥9,739

125.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$99.2 ¥15.7K

-0.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$541 ¥85.4K

90.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$328 ¥51.8K

88.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,100 ¥173.8K

71.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$729 ¥115.2K

38.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$4,304 ¥680.0K

-7.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,725 ¥272.5K

-1.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.02

441.58%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Himeji: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Himeji

$328 25.6% 47% $291

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Himeji

$379 29.5% 27.2% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Himeji

$173 13.5% 17.5% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Himeji

$111 8.6% 35.8% $62

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Himeji

$142 11% 17.1% $29

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Himeji

$76 5.9% 20.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Himeji

$75 5.9% 27.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $541 in Himeji. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $31.00 in Himeji. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Medellin vs $379 in Himeji – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇵 Himeji

🕒 Local time

19:26 7:26 PM

09:26 9:26 AM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

535,571

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Himeji 14,450 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Himeji

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 Himeji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,925 in Himeji. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Himeji, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 27% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $31.00 in Himeji. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Himeji, where all-in costs run around $1,283, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Himeji it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Himeji. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.