Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Himeji Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Himeji

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,282 in Himeji, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $2,062 in Himeji, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,843 in Himeji, rent included.

Medellin costs about 34% more than Himeji, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Himeji is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$8.35 ¥1,304

-3.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$31.42 ¥4,909

53.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$4.86 ¥760

101.03%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.34 ¥365

24.36%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.23 ¥193

57.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.81 ¥127

87.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$3.09 ¥482

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.12 ¥487

83.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.50 ¥235

-9.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.47 ¥230

62.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$4.10 ¥641

-58.54%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$2.18 ¥341

31.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$15.34 ¥2,396

-35.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$6.85 ¥1,070

57.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$17.35 ¥2,710

-15.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$8.19 ¥1,280

-50.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$2.93 ¥458

-46.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$5.11 ¥798

-58.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$7.60 ¥1,187

-70.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$3.92 ¥613

-47.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$4.52 ¥706

-66.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.12 ¥175

6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.94 ¥146

23.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.77 ¥588

3.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$9.24 ¥1,444

56.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$2.52 ¥393

-37.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.06 ¥322

37.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$1.28 ¥200

-8.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$57.2 ¥8,935

35.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$3.05 ¥477

-58.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$2.83 ¥442

-26.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$15.52 ¥2,424

-44.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.05 ¥164

23.81%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$21.3K ¥3.3M

29.83%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$14.9K ¥2.3M

138.85%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$114 ¥17.8K

54.68%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$23.01 ¥3,595

-41.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$30.79 ¥4,811

-2.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$46.63 ¥7,284

-4.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$11.36 ¥1,775

-45.42%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$567 ¥88.5K

40.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$14.3K ¥2.2M

-36.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$49.92 ¥7,798

71.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$35.88 ¥5,605

62.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$60.0 ¥9,371

127.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$95.2 ¥14.9K

8.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$504 ¥78.7K

110.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$363 ¥56.7K

87.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,156 ¥180.5K

74.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$649 ¥101.4K

80.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$4,340 ¥678.0K

-5.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,627 ¥254.1K

4.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.66

559.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Himeji: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $504 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $31.00 in Himeji. Groceries tell a different story – $303 in Medellin vs $376 in Himeji – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 34%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,922 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 24% 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 $48.00 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 $1,282, than in Medellin at $1,716. 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.