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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,233 in Kobe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,895 in Kobe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $2,557 in Kobe.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 17% less than in Kobe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Kobe 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$8.17 ¥1,317

-26.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$27.93 ¥4,505

17.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$4.98 ¥803

49.00%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$3.10 ¥501

-46.77%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$1.00 ¥161

7.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.74 ¥119

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$2.37 ¥382

-27.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$3.14 ¥506

1.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$1.60 ¥258

-34.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$1.28 ¥206

2.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$4.90 ¥791

-72.65%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$1.65 ¥266

32.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$13.95 ¥2,249

-68.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$7.85 ¥1,265

-27.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$15.63 ¥2,521

-45.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$8.84 ¥1,426

-73.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$2.87 ¥463

-61.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$4.90 ¥790

-68.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$9.87 ¥1,592

-86.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$3.90 ¥629

-70.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$2.55 ¥412

-53.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$1.32 ¥213

-36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$1.41 ¥227

-39.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$3.54 ¥571

-36.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$7.92 ¥1,278

46.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$2.87 ¥464

-58.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$2.39 ¥386

3.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$1.45 ¥233

-45.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$38.65 ¥6,234

5.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$3.38 ¥545

-56.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$1.33 ¥215

44.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$17.26 ¥2,784

-54.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$1.24 ¥199

-18.55%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$21.6K ¥3.5M

-18.24%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$14.6K ¥2.4M

81.06%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$141 ¥22.8K

-42.61%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$27.49 ¥4,433

-65.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$34.21 ¥5,518

-30.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$47.64 ¥7,683

-45.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$20.69 ¥3,337

-9.57%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$12.30 ¥1,984

-66.75%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$360 ¥58.1K

-12.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$11.1K ¥1.8M

-45.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$45.46 ¥7,332

31.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$32.05 ¥5,169

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$40.26 ¥6,493

151.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$47.93 ¥7,731

119.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$493 ¥79.6K

-1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$313 ¥50.4K

16.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$684 ¥110.3K

20.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$588 ¥94.9K

24.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$4,195 ¥676.6K

-28.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$2,815 ¥454.0K

-53.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$1,758 ¥283.5K

-68.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

1.78

654.49%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Kobe: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $493 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kobe pays 219% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $28.00 in Kobe. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $387, 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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Kobe. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 219% 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: $485 in Medellin versus $493 in Kobe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 6% less than in Kobe. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $360 in Kobe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,233 in Kobe, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Kobe. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,028 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Kobe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.