Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kobe Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kobe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,687 in Medellin versus $1,510 in Kobe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $2,181 in Kobe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $2,851 in Kobe.

Living in Medellin is roughly 12% more expensive than in Kobe, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Kobe 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$7.38 ¥1,173

6.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$31.68 ¥5,033

40.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$4.79 ¥762

93.95%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$2.25 ¥358

28.89%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$1.18 ¥187

53.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.62 ¥98.5

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$2.10 ¥333

54.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$2.32 ¥368

153.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.47 ¥233

-6.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$1.30 ¥206

88.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$4.19 ¥666

-63.96%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$1.98 ¥315

40.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$12.73 ¥2,022

-28.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$7.10 ¥1,128

50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$16.97 ¥2,696

-13.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$7.76 ¥1,234

-48.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$3.06 ¥487

-54.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$4.92 ¥782

-53.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$7.65 ¥1,215

-73.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$3.66 ¥581

-42.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$3.47 ¥552

-53.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$1.15 ¥183

-6.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.93 ¥147

34.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$3.51 ¥557

14.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$8.12 ¥1,290

65.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.96 ¥311

-18.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$1.50 ¥238

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$1.41 ¥224

-16.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

$61.9 ¥9,834

29.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$3.07 ¥487

-47.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$3.22 ¥512

-33.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$26.42 ¥4,199

-67.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.10 ¥175

22.73%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$19.7K ¥3.1M

43.49%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

137.36%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$250 ¥39.7K

-39.39%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$23.38 ¥3,714

-43.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$30.41 ¥4,832

6.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$45.44 ¥7,220

1.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$11.55 ¥1,835

49.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$11.38 ¥1,809

-43.50%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$317 ¥50.4K

163.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$6,096 ¥968.6K

45.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$49.12 ¥7,805

81.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$24.65 ¥3,917

124.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$44.81 ¥7,119

204.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$64.1 ¥10.2K

70.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$692 ¥109.9K

37.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$465 ¥73.8K

43.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$1,073 ¥170.4K

88.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$726 ¥115.3K

58.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$4,345 ¥690.3K

-14.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$2,865 ¥455.2K

-44.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$1,786 ¥283.7K

-64.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

2.02

416.34%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Kobe: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $692 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kobe pays 186% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Kobe. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $355, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kobe wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kobe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 186% lower in Kobe. 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: $952 in Medellin versus $692 in Kobe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kobe runs roughly 29% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $835 in Medellin versus $317 in Kobe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,510 in Kobe versus $1,687 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kobe but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kobe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kobe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,510 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kobe hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Kobe 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 Kobe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.