Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kawagoe Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kawagoe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,205 in Kawagoe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,948 in Kawagoe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,691 in Kawagoe.

Living in Medellin is roughly 39% more expensive than in Kawagoe, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$6.39 ¥997

25.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$42.87 ¥6,696

11.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$5.22 ¥816

89.46%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.55 ¥555

-11.83%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.93 ¥145

105.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.51 ¥79.3

196.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$1.95 ¥305

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.70 ¥421

112.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.19 ¥185

21.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.27 ¥198

96.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$3.67 ¥573

-51.77%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.04 ¥318

45.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$6.56 ¥1,025

53.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$6.10 ¥953

65.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$14.85 ¥2,318

-3.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$5.89 ¥919

-29.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.40 ¥375

-32.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$3.00 ¥468

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$3.21 ¥501

-29.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.58 ¥403

-20.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$2.00 ¥312

-23.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.32 ¥207

-11.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.81 ¥127

61.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$3.97 ¥620

-1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$4.99 ¥779

180.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.77 ¥277

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.10 ¥328

36.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$3.05 ¥476

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$164 ¥25.6K

-50.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.33 ¥519

-60.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.53 ¥394

-13.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$21.04 ¥3,286

-58.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.15 ¥180

19.13%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$16.4K ¥2.6M

69.67%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$13.1K ¥2.1M

172.31%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$136 ¥21.2K

30.56%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$22.74 ¥3,551

-38.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$32.53 ¥5,081

-8.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$43.30 ¥6,761

3.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$32.20 ¥5,028

-46.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$11.54 ¥1,802

-42.37%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$326 ¥50.9K

149.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$6,592 ¥1.0M

39.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$32.59 ¥5,089

174.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$33.09 ¥5,167

78.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$45.11 ¥7,044

206.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$99.1 ¥15.5K

3.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$416 ¥65.0K

155.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$279 ¥43.5K

137.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$874 ¥136.6K

115.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$613 ¥95.7K

67.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$2,541 ¥396.8K

64.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,286 ¥200.8K

30.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,649 ¥257.5K

-58.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.6

583.75%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kawagoe: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $416 in Kawagoe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kawagoe pays 143% 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 $43.00 in Kawagoe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $264 per month, with Kawagoe 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 Kawagoe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kawagoe differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,205 including rent). Kawagoe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 143% lower in Kawagoe. 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 $416 in Kawagoe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kawagoe – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,205 in Kawagoe – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,205 in Kawagoe versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kawagoe but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kawagoe 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 Kawagoe 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 Kawagoe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.