Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kamakura

For one person, living is cheaper in Kamakura: $1,165 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Kamakura
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Kamakura Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Kamakura

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,165

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kamakura

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Kamakura actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,165 in Kamakura.

Medellin $1,639
Kamakura $1,165

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,822 in Kamakura.

Medellin $2,413
Kamakura $1,822

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,478 in Kamakura.

Medellin $3,186
Kamakura $2,478

Living in Medellin is roughly 41% more expensive than in Kamakura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Kamakura is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$6.44 ¥1,017

25.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$31.61 ¥4,992

48.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.98 ¥787

90.76%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$2.59 ¥409

16.22%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.11 ¥176

62.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.74 ¥116

90.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.56 ¥404

24.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.21 ¥507

79.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.44 ¥228

4.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.50 ¥238

58.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$3.70 ¥585

-52.16%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.02 ¥319

43.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$10.49 ¥1,657

-2.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$5.92 ¥934

66.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$14.54 ¥2,296

-3.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$5.67 ¥896

-29.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$2.71 ¥429

-42.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$2.82 ¥445

-22.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$4.16 ¥657

-47.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$2.63 ¥415

-25.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$2.57 ¥406

-38.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.13 ¥179

1.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.82 ¥129

51.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.74 ¥590

5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$6.52 ¥1,029

109.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.83 ¥290

-9.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$2.09 ¥331

8.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$1.50 ¥237

-22.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$53.1 ¥8,392

45.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$3.15 ¥497

-59.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$2.63 ¥415

-22.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$15.63 ¥2,469

-45.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.11 ¥176

21.62%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$21.9K ¥3.5M

55.83%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

130.74%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$115 ¥18.2K

46.90%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$23.20 ¥3,663

-41.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$31.50 ¥4,974

-10.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$51.6 ¥8,154

-15.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$12.92 ¥2,040

-46.52%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$695 ¥109.8K

14.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$14.6K ¥2.3M

-37.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$51.2 ¥8,080

65.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$35.94 ¥5,676

61.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$60.3 ¥9,517

123.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$97.3 ¥15.4K

0.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$559 ¥88.3K

115.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$321 ¥50.6K

100.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,094 ¥172.8K

85.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$650 ¥102.6K

55.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$4,071 ¥642.9K

2.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$2,427 ¥383.2K

-21.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,810 ¥285.8K

-63.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.02

441.58%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kamakura: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Kamakura

$321 27.5% 50% $321

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Kamakura

$288 24.7% 3.2% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Kamakura

$170 14.6% 19.4% $41

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Kamakura

$124 10.7% 26.8% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Kamakura

$110 9.5% 34.9% $59

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Kamakura

$75 6.5% 19.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Kamakura

$77 6.7% 34.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $559 in Kamakura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kamakura pays about 2.8 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $32 in Kamakura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $288 per month, with Kamakura cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇵 Kamakura

🕒 Local time

09:29 9:29 AM

23:29 11:29 PM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

172,710

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Kamakura 14,110 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kamakura

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 29% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $559 in Kamakura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $695 in Kamakura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,165 in Kamakura versus $1,639 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.

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.

Expats usually find Kamakura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.