Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Koriyama Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Koriyama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,254 in Koriyama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,959 in Koriyama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,665 in Koriyama.

Living in Medellin is roughly 34% more expensive than in Koriyama, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Koriyama is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$7.28 ¥1,137

10.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$31.60 ¥4,935

51.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$5.07 ¥792

95.07%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.70 ¥422

15.93%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.02 ¥160

87.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.72 ¥112

109.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.30 ¥359

35.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.44 ¥537

67.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.44 ¥225

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.49 ¥233

67.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$4.66 ¥727

-62.02%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.06 ¥322

43.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$9.72 ¥1,518

3.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$6.67 ¥1,041

51.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$16.64 ¥2,599

-14.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$5.41 ¥845

-23.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.60 ¥407

-38.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.66 ¥415

-15.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$4.69 ¥732

-52.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.37 ¥370

-13.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$2.46 ¥384

-37.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.16 ¥182

0.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.88 ¥138

48.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$3.81 ¥595

2.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$8.17 ¥1,276

71.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.83 ¥286

-4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.05 ¥321

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.72 ¥268

-29.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$53.1 ¥8,298

51.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.66 ¥571

-64.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.53 ¥395

-13.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$20.74 ¥3,238

-58.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$0.99 ¥154

38.38%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$20.5K ¥3.2M

35.58%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$14.0K ¥2.2M

154.84%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$122 ¥19.0K

45.58%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$25.60 ¥3,997

-45.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$35.01 ¥5,467

-15.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$59.8 ¥9,339

-24.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$12.22 ¥1,909

-45.58%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$527 ¥82.3K

54.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$14.2K ¥2.2M

-35.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$54.7 ¥8,540

63.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$35.06 ¥5,476

68.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$68.4 ¥10.7K

101.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$102 ¥16.0K

-0.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$466 ¥72.8K

127.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$340 ¥53.0K

95.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,042 ¥162.7K

81.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$731 ¥114.1K

40.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$3,322 ¥518.8K

25.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,858 ¥290.2K

-9.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.09

423.44%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Koriyama: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $466 in Koriyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Koriyama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $302 per month, with Koriyama 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 Koriyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Koriyama differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,254 including rent). Koriyama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,881 in Koriyama to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $466 in Koriyama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Koriyama runs roughly 51% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $527 in Koriyama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,254 in Koriyama versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koriyama but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Koriyama 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 Koriyama 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 Koriyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.