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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,202 in Ichikawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,907 in Ichikawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,611 in Ichikawa.

Living in Medellin is roughly 40% more expensive than in Ichikawa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Ichikawa is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$5.10 ¥796

57.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$32.07 ¥5,009

49.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$4.59 ¥717

115.47%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.23 ¥349

40.36%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.68 ¥106

180.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.37 ¥57.1

308.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.56 ¥400

21.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.22 ¥502

78.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.43 ¥223

0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.75 ¥274

42.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$3.78 ¥591

-53.17%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.15 ¥336

37.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$12.11 ¥1,891

-16.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$6.18 ¥965

63.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$14.88 ¥2,324

-3.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$5.98 ¥934

-30.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.77 ¥433

-41.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.97 ¥463

-24.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$4.19 ¥654

-46.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.70 ¥422

-24.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$2.73 ¥426

-43.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.27 ¥199

-7.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.82 ¥127

59.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.00 ¥625

-2.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$6.41 ¥1,002

118.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.87 ¥292

-6.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.09 ¥327

37.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.65 ¥257

-26.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$61.7 ¥9,632

30.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.27 ¥511

-59.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.55 ¥399

-14.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$20.99 ¥3,278

-58.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.11 ¥173

23.42%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

27.71%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$19.0K ¥3.0M

88.37%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$134 ¥20.9K

32.24%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$25.33 ¥3,955

-45.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$32.30 ¥5,044

-7.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$59.0 ¥9,210

-23.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$12.83 ¥2,004

-48.17%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$635 ¥99.2K

27.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

-38.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$65.2 ¥10.2K

37.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$33.70 ¥5,262

74.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$62.1 ¥9,691

122.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$104 ¥16.3K

-2.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$462 ¥72.1K

129.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$325 ¥50.8K

103.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,024 ¥159.9K

84.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$767 ¥119.7K

33.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$3,753 ¥586.0K

11.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,897 ¥296.3K

-11.74%

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 Ichikawa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $462 in Ichikawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Ichikawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $302 per month, with Ichikawa 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 40% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,202 including rent). Ichikawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,803 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $462 in Ichikawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Ichikawa – 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 $1,202 in Ichikawa versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ichikawa but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ichikawa 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 Ichikawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.