Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ichikawa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ichikawa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,152 in Ichikawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,834 in Ichikawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,515 in Ichikawa.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 12% less than in Ichikawa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Ichikawa 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$6.78 ¥1,085

-11.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$34.74 ¥5,557

-5.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.19 ¥830

36.61%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$3.19 ¥511

-46.39%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$1.13 ¥181

-2.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.76 ¥122

2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$2.10 ¥335

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.10 ¥335

46.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.52 ¥243

-28.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.76 ¥281

-28.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$4.89 ¥782

-71.78%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.50 ¥240

46.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$10.10 ¥1,615

-56.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$6.29 ¥1,006

-10.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$15.29 ¥2,445

-41.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$6.10 ¥975

-61.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$3.21 ¥513

-66.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$4.13 ¥660

-63.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$4.66 ¥746

-70.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$3.32 ¥531

-65.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$3.61 ¥577

-67.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.38 ¥220

-35.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.82 ¥131

2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$4.17 ¥667

-45.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$9.41 ¥1,504

13.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.74 ¥278

-31.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$2.09 ¥335

18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$1.59 ¥255

-45.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$55.3 ¥8,846

-25.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$3.48 ¥557

-57.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$2.89 ¥463

-32.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$22.36 ¥3,576

-65.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.15 ¥185

-17.39%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$23.3K ¥3.7M

-22.28%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$18.7K ¥3.0M

41.47%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$83.9 ¥13.4K

-2.01%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$27.82 ¥4,450

-65.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$17.43 ¥2,788

39.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$55.2 ¥8,823

-53.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$13.98 ¥2,235

35.91%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$11.58 ¥1,852

-66.06%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$282 ¥45.2K

9.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$13.9K ¥2.2M

-57.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$41.54 ¥6,644

41.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$29.08 ¥4,652

11.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$60.1 ¥9,608

70.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$96.9 ¥15.5K

11.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$474 ¥75.9K

0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$334 ¥53.4K

13.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$884 ¥141.4K

-5.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$657 ¥105.1K

10.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$4,958 ¥793.1K

-43.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$2,642 ¥422.7K

-54.16%

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 Ichikawa: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $474 in Ichikawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Ichikawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $320 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 Ichikawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Ichikawa differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $1,152 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,728 in Ichikawa 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 $474 in Ichikawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Ichikawa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $35.00 in Ichikawa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,152 in Ichikawa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ichikawa. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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 Ichikawa 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Ichikawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.