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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,258 in Ichihara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,028 in Ichihara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,798 in Ichihara.

Living in Medellin is roughly 34% more expensive than in Ichihara, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Ichihara is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$6.33 ¥988

26.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$42.48 ¥6,633

12.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$5.14 ¥803

92.41%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.56 ¥556

-12.08%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.12 ¥175

70.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.76 ¥118

98.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.62 ¥409

19.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.22 ¥503

78.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.47 ¥229

-2.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.79 ¥280

39.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$3.78 ¥590

-53.17%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.06 ¥322

43.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$12.23 ¥1,910

-17.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$6.12 ¥956

65.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$14.62 ¥2,283

-2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$5.97 ¥932

-30.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.89 ¥451

-44.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.93 ¥457

-23.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$4.35 ¥679

-48.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.70 ¥421

-24.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$2.70 ¥422

-42.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.31 ¥205

-10.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.84 ¥131

55.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$3.93 ¥613

-0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$6.42 ¥1,002

118.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.83 ¥286

-4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.17 ¥338

32.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.52 ¥237

-19.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$55.9 ¥8,735

43.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.17 ¥496

-58.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.52 ¥394

-13.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$20.82 ¥3,252

-58.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.09 ¥170

25.69%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

25.37%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$18.5K ¥2.9M

93.74%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$137 ¥21.4K

29.32%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$25.05 ¥3,913

-44.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$33.11 ¥5,170

-10.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$56.3 ¥8,788

-20.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$12.99 ¥2,028

-48.81%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$638 ¥99.7K

27.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

-39.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$63.1 ¥9,851

41.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$33.59 ¥5,246

75.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$63.3 ¥9,879

118.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$107 ¥16.7K

-4.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$578 ¥90.2K

83.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$298 ¥46.5K

122.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,135 ¥177.2K

66.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$765 ¥119.4K

34.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$3,958 ¥618.1K

5.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$2,013 ¥314.4K

-16.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.12

416.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ichihara: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $578 in Ichihara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $42.00 in Ichihara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $303 per month, with Ichihara 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

Ichihara is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,887 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $578 in Ichihara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $638 in Ichihara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,258 in Ichihara versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ichihara but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ichihara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Ichihara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.