Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hiroshima Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hiroshima

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $919 in Hiroshima, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,482 in Hiroshima, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,046 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Medellin costs about 87% more than Hiroshima, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Hiroshima is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$6.05 ¥945

32.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$31.23 ¥4,879

54.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$4.89 ¥764

99.80%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.72 ¥426

6.99%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.02 ¥160

90.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.67 ¥105

126.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$2.64 ¥413

17.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.65 ¥570

57.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.50 ¥235

-9.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.56 ¥243

53.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$4.68 ¥731

-63.68%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$2.09 ¥326

37.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$4.93 ¥770

101.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$5.96 ¥931

80.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$11.07 ¥1,730

33.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$3.39 ¥529

20.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.90 ¥297

-17.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$3.74 ¥584

-43.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$3.73 ¥582

-40.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$1.50 ¥234

36.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$3.44 ¥537

-56.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.28 ¥200

-7.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.77 ¥121

50.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.83 ¥599

1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$7.63 ¥1,192

89.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.85 ¥289

-14.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.46 ¥384

15.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$1.91 ¥298

-38.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$3.72 ¥581

-65.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$1.23 ¥192

69.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$20.94 ¥3,271

-58.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.04 ¥163

25.00%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$21.3K ¥3.3M

29.55%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

134.14%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$137 ¥21.4K

28.69%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$23.88 ¥3,730

-44.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$30.26 ¥4,727

-1.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$53.6 ¥8,368

-16.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$4.80 ¥749

255.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$11.97 ¥1,870

-48.20%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$158 ¥24.6K

403.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$3,422 ¥534.6K

163.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$28.18 ¥4,403

203.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$24.90 ¥3,891

134.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$47.12 ¥7,362

189.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$61.8 ¥9,654

66.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$238 ¥37.2K

345.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$185 ¥28.9K

267.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$635 ¥99.2K

216.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$503 ¥78.6K

132.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$1,883 ¥294.1K

118.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,889 ¥295.1K

-9.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$1,956 ¥305.6K

-66.00%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Hiroshima: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $238 in Hiroshima. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 194% higher in Hiroshima, 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $31.00 in Hiroshima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $253 – making Hiroshima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Hiroshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 87% more than Hiroshima, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,378 in Hiroshima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $31.00 in Hiroshima. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hiroshima, where all-in costs run around $919, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Hiroshima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hiroshima costs $919 versus $1,716 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Hiroshima. 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.