Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hiroshima

For one person, living is cheaper in Hiroshima: $961 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Hiroshima
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Hiroshima Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Hiroshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$961

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Hiroshima

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $961 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Hiroshima $961

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,557 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Hiroshima $1,557

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,152 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Hiroshima $2,152

Medellin costs about 69% more than Hiroshima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Hiroshima is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$6.13 ¥969

35.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$31.92 ¥5,043

46.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$5.07 ¥801

82.25%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.72 ¥429

12.13%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.96 ¥152

87.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.69 ¥109

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.74 ¥433

18.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.68 ¥582

51.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.49 ¥236

0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.52 ¥240

55.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$4.74 ¥748

-64.14%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.07 ¥327

43.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$5.11 ¥808

100.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$6.18 ¥976

57.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$10.90 ¥1,722

27.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.31 ¥522

24.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.98 ¥313

-22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$3.77 ¥595

-41.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$3.72 ¥588

-38.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.51 ¥238

31.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$3.45 ¥545

-51.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.35 ¥214

-12.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.83 ¥130

49.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$4.00 ¥631

-3.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$7.70 ¥1,217

78.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.92 ¥303

-13.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.48 ¥392

-3.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.84 ¥290

-32.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$32.79 ¥5,181

138.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$3.68 ¥581

-65.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.22 ¥192

76.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$21.43 ¥3,386

-60.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.10 ¥174

22.73%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

59.36%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

135.12%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$139 ¥21.9K

19.96%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$24.17 ¥3,818

-43.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$30.93 ¥4,887

-5.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$52.6 ¥8,315

-14.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$4.65 ¥734

269.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$12.72 ¥2,009

-45.20%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$155 ¥24.5K

409.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$3,400 ¥537.2K

165.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$28.67 ¥4,529

206.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$24.54 ¥3,877

136.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$47.85 ¥7,560

190.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$64.0 ¥10.1K

54.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$241 ¥38.1K

326.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$186 ¥29.3K

233.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$618 ¥97.7K

204.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$508 ¥80.2K

98.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$3,058 ¥483.1K

30.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,406 ¥222.2K

21.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,973 ¥311.8K

-66.38%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hiroshima: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Hiroshima

$186 19.3% 70% $434

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Hiroshima

$255 26.5% 14.4% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Hiroshima

$194 20.2% 7.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Hiroshima

$74 7.7% 57% $98

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Hiroshima

$125 13% 27.1% $46

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Hiroshima

$50 5.2% 47.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Hiroshima

$78 8.1% 32.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $241 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 197% 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $32.00 in Hiroshima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $255 – making Hiroshima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇵 Hiroshima

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

10:59 10:59 AM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,200,754

💱 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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Medellin Hiroshima 14,620 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

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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 Hiroshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 69% more than Hiroshima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,442 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $961 in Hiroshima. That's a gap of about 69%.

Public transport costs about 139% less in Hiroshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hiroshima, where all-in costs run around $961, than in Medellin at $1,625. 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 $961 versus $1,625 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.