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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,186 in Ichihara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,864 in Ichihara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,542 in Ichihara.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 13% less than in Ichihara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Ichihara 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$7.06 ¥1,148

-12.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$35.07 ¥5,698

-7.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.06 ¥823

45.06%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$3.15 ¥513

-45.40%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.08 ¥176

-2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.75 ¥122

2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$2.02 ¥329

-16.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.02 ¥328

56.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.58 ¥256

-33.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.66 ¥270

-21.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$4.84 ¥786

-71.07%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.57 ¥254

37.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$10.11 ¥1,643

-56.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$6.29 ¥1,023

-6.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$15.70 ¥2,551

-44.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$6.15 ¥1,000

-62.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$3.17 ¥516

-64.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$3.91 ¥636

-60.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$4.70 ¥763

-71.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$3.27 ¥531

-65.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$3.60 ¥584

-68.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.38 ¥224

-38.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.81 ¥132

12.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$4.26 ¥692

-45.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$8.02 ¥1,303

54.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.83 ¥298

-34.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.10 ¥341

18.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$1.60 ¥260

-47.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$56.5 ¥9,178

-28.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$3.43 ¥557

-58.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$2.92 ¥475

-34.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$21.88 ¥3,555

-64.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.19 ¥193

-16.81%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$23.3K ¥3.8M

-22.60%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$18.4K ¥3.0M

44.58%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$84.0 ¥13.6K

-3.80%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$27.55 ¥4,477

-63.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$17.60 ¥2,859

37.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$56.8 ¥9,220

-55.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$14.15 ¥2,299

35.34%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$11.36 ¥1,846

-64.96%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$284 ¥46.2K

7.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$13.7K ¥2.2M

-55.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$42.32 ¥6,877

37.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$29.92 ¥4,862

7.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$60.3 ¥9,797

67.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$97.5 ¥15.8K

10.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$474 ¥77.0K

0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$323 ¥52.5K

16.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$879 ¥142.8K

-3.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$663 ¥107.8K

10.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$4,702 ¥764.0K

-31.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$2,080 ¥338.0K

-34.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ichihara: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $474 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 $193 vs $317 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $1,780 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: $477 in Medellin versus $474 in Ichihara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $284 in Ichihara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Ichihara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,186 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 15% less than in Ichihara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.