Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kumamoto

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumamoto: $1,283 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Kumamoto
Learn more

Kumamoto Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Kumamoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,283

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kumamoto

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 Kumamoto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,283 in Kumamoto.

Medellin $1,625
Kumamoto $1,283

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $1,977 in Kumamoto.

Medellin $2,412
Kumamoto $1,977

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $2,670 in Kumamoto.

Medellin $3,199
Kumamoto $2,670

Living in Medellin is roughly 27% more expensive than in Kumamoto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Kumamoto is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$7.13 ¥1,126

16.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$31.86 ¥5,034

47.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$5.96 ¥942

55.03%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.22 ¥508

-5.28%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.05 ¥166

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.70 ¥111

97.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$3.74 ¥591

-13.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$2.26 ¥357

146.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.36 ¥215

10.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.90 ¥299

24.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$6.64 ¥1,050

-74.40%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.86 ¥294

59.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$17.81 ¥2,814

-42.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$5.47 ¥865

78.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$18.87 ¥2,981

-26.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.72 ¥587

11.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.86 ¥294

-17.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.78 ¥439

-20.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$3.36 ¥530

-32.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$2.16 ¥342

-7.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$2.61 ¥413

-36.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.04 ¥164

13.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.91 ¥143

36.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$3.94 ¥623

-1.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$5.61 ¥887

145.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.70 ¥268

-2.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.83 ¥290

31.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.50 ¥236

-17.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$52.5 ¥8,291

49.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$3.84 ¥606

-66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$2.00 ¥317

7.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$18.05 ¥2,852

-53.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.06 ¥167

27.36%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$22.0K ¥3.5M

58.01%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$17.6K ¥2.8M

97.44%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$210 ¥33.2K

-20.80%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$24.28 ¥3,835

-43.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$33.30 ¥5,261

-12.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$52.9 ¥8,359

-14.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$10.95 ¥1,729

-36.35%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$126 ¥20.0K

524.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$12.4K ¥2.0M

-27.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$48.56 ¥7,672

80.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$25.99 ¥4,106

123.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$65.3 ¥10.3K

112.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$47.20 ¥7,457

109.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$541 ¥85.4K

90.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$328 ¥51.9K

88.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,119 ¥176.8K

68.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$723 ¥114.2K

39.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$4,158 ¥656.8K

-4.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,735 ¥274.1K

-1.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.97

455.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kumamoto: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Kumamoto

$328 25.6% 47% $291

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Kumamoto

$312 24.3% 4.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Kumamoto

$268 20.9% 28% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Kumamoto

$84 6.6% 51.3% $89

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Kumamoto

$144 11.2% 15.9% $27

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Kumamoto

$72 5.6% 24% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Kumamoto

$75 5.8% 26.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $541 in Kumamoto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Kumamoto. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $312, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇵 Kumamoto

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

06:03 6:03 AM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

738,865

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 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 October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Kumamoto 14,860 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kumamoto

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 Kumamoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kumamoto differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,625 vs $1,283 including rent). Kumamoto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,437 in Medellin and $1,924 in Kumamoto 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $541 in Kumamoto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kumamoto runs roughly 49% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $126 in Kumamoto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,283 in Kumamoto versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kumamoto but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kumamoto 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 Kumamoto 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 Kumamoto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.