Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kamakura Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kamakura

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,181 in Kamakura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,910 in Kamakura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,640 in Kamakura.

Living in Medellin is roughly 42% more expensive than in Kamakura, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Kamakura is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$6.39 ¥999

25.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$31.84 ¥4,973

50.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$5.14 ¥802

92.41%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.44 ¥382

28.28%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.12 ¥174

70.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.80 ¥125

88.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.55 ¥398

22.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.20 ¥500

79.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.42 ¥222

1.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.55 ¥241

60.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$3.70 ¥577

-52.16%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.13 ¥333

38.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$12.18 ¥1,902

-17.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$6.11 ¥954

65.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$14.89 ¥2,326

-3.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$5.73 ¥895

-27.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.81 ¥439

-42.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$3.00 ¥468

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$4.40 ¥688

-48.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.71 ¥423

-24.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$2.60 ¥406

-40.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.21 ¥189

-3.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.79 ¥123

65.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$3.99 ¥623

-2.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$6.65 ¥1,038

110.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.86 ¥290

-6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.09 ¥326

37.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.54 ¥240

-20.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$63.9 ¥9,982

25.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.18 ¥496

-58.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.54 ¥397

-13.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$16.36 ¥2,556

-46.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.08 ¥168

26.85%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$22.0K ¥3.4M

26.29%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$15.6K ¥2.4M

128.71%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$117 ¥18.2K

51.76%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$23.87 ¥3,727

-41.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$31.42 ¥4,907

-5.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$52.6 ¥8,207

-14.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$12.86 ¥2,009

-48.29%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$587 ¥91.7K

38.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

-39.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$50.6 ¥7,908

76.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$33.76 ¥5,272

74.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$62.7 ¥9,789

120.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$101 ¥15.8K

0.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$527 ¥82.4K

101.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$326 ¥51.0K

103.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$883 ¥137.8K

113.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$683 ¥106.6K

50.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$3,327 ¥519.6K

25.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,549 ¥241.9K

8.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,826 ¥285.2K

-62.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.66

559.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kamakura: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $527 in Kamakura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kamakura pays 169% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Kamakura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $299 per month, with Kamakura 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 Kamakura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kamakura is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 169% lower in Kamakura. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $527 in Kamakura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $587 in Kamakura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,181 in Kamakura versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kamakura but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kamakura the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kamakura 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Kamakura 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 Kamakura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.