Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ichihara Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ichihara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,183 in Ichihara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,881 in Ichihara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,579 in Ichihara.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 14% less than in Ichihara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Ichihara 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$7.13 ¥1,141

-15.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$34.72 ¥5,553

-5.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.09 ¥814

39.29%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$3.19 ¥511

-46.39%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$1.14 ¥183

-3.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.80 ¥129

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$2.09 ¥335

-19.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.04 ¥326

50.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.53 ¥245

-28.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.75 ¥280

-28.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$4.94 ¥791

-72.06%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.56 ¥250

40.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$10.06 ¥1,609

-56.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$6.16 ¥985

-8.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$15.36 ¥2,457

-42.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$5.95 ¥951

-60.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$3.20 ¥512

-66.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$3.92 ¥628

-61.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$4.60 ¥736

-70.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$3.39 ¥542

-66.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$3.67 ¥588

-68.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.34 ¥215

-33.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.81 ¥130

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$4.04 ¥646

-43.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$8.06 ¥1,289

32.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.75 ¥279

-31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$2.04 ¥326

21.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$1.65 ¥264

-47.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$56.1 ¥8,973

-26.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$3.40 ¥544

-56.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$2.90 ¥464

-32.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$21.90 ¥3,503

-64.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.14 ¥182

-16.67%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$23.5K ¥3.8M

-22.84%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$18.4K ¥2.9M

43.85%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$84.6 ¥13.5K

-2.78%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$27.72 ¥4,434

-65.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$17.12 ¥2,739

41.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$55.9 ¥8,936

-53.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$13.69 ¥2,189

38.79%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$11.24 ¥1,797

-65.04%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$287 ¥45.8K

7.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$14.0K ¥2.2M

-57.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$41.33 ¥6,610

41.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$29.30 ¥4,687

10.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$59.3 ¥9,479

73.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$98.4 ¥15.7K

10.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$459 ¥73.5K

3.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$324 ¥51.8K

16.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$868 ¥138.8K

-3.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$660 ¥105.6K

9.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$5,257 ¥840.8K

-46.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$2,054 ¥328.5K

-41.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

571.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ichihara: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $459 in Ichihara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Ichihara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $315 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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 Ichihara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,775 in Ichihara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $459 in Ichihara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $287 in Ichihara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Ichihara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,183 in Ichihara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ichihara. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ichihara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Ichihara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.