Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ibaraki Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ibaraki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,178 in Ibaraki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,848 in Ibaraki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,518 in Ibaraki.

Living in Medellin is roughly 43% more expensive than in Ibaraki, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Ibaraki is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$6.63 ¥1,035

20.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$31.89 ¥4,979

50.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$5.30 ¥828

86.60%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.13 ¥489

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.16 ¥181

64.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.76 ¥119

98.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.53 ¥395

23.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.22 ¥502

78.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$2.80 ¥437

-48.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.55 ¥243

60.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$4.34 ¥679

-59.22%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.10 ¥328

40.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$11.19 ¥1,747

-10.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$6.62 ¥1,034

52.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$17.37 ¥2,713

-17.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$4.90 ¥765

-15.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.35 ¥367

-31.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$3.17 ¥496

-29.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$4.33 ¥676

-48.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.53 ¥394

-19.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$2.42 ¥378

-36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.28 ¥200

-8.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.81 ¥127

61.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$3.78 ¥590

3.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$7.54 ¥1,178

85.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.84 ¥288

-5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.21 ¥345

29.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.66 ¥259

-26.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$58.7 ¥9,167

37.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$4.80 ¥750

-72.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.85 ¥444

-23.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$19.73 ¥3,082

-55.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.17 ¥182

17.09%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$22.3K ¥3.5M

24.67%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

132.54%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$134 ¥20.8K

32.81%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$24.24 ¥3,786

-42.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$31.64 ¥4,941

-6.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$52.1 ¥8,129

-13.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$11.94 ¥1,865

-44.30%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$552 ¥86.2K

47.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$14.0K ¥2.2M

-34.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$26.82 ¥4,189

233.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$33.01 ¥5,155

78.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$67.7 ¥10.6K

104.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$80.4 ¥12.6K

26.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$405 ¥63.3K

161.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$265 ¥41.4K

150.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,034 ¥161.4K

82.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$541 ¥84.5K

89.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$4,081 ¥637.4K

2.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$2,033 ¥317.6K

-17.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$2,572 ¥401.6K

-73.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.09

423.44%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ibaraki: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $405 in Ibaraki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 279% 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 $32.00 in Ibaraki. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $317, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ibaraki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Ibaraki differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,178 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 279% lower in Ibaraki. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $405 in Ibaraki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibaraki – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,178 in Ibaraki versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ibaraki but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ibaraki 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 Ibaraki 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 Ibaraki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.