Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kumamoto Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kumamoto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,241 in Kumamoto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,936 in Kumamoto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,630 in Kumamoto.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than in Kumamoto, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Kumamoto is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$7.00 ¥1,094

14.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$30.81 ¥4,814

56.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$5.52 ¥862

76.99%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$3.21 ¥501

-9.35%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.03 ¥161

88.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.67 ¥105

126.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$3.84 ¥600

-19.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$2.15 ¥336

166.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.28 ¥200

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.84 ¥287

29.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$6.33 ¥989

-73.14%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.91 ¥298

50.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$18.11 ¥2,829

-45.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$5.27 ¥824

104.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$16.66 ¥2,603

-11.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$3.59 ¥560

13.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.86 ¥291

-15.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$2.81 ¥439

-24.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$3.33 ¥521

-33.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$2.10 ¥328

-2.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$2.62 ¥409

-42.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.03 ¥160

15.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.97 ¥151

19.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.84 ¥599

1.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$5.58 ¥871

158.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.69 ¥263

-6.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$1.86 ¥291

52.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$1.37 ¥215

-14.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$61.2 ¥9,554

27.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$3.81 ¥595

-66.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$1.98 ¥310

5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$17.83 ¥2,786

-51.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.10 ¥172

18.18%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$21.3K ¥3.3M

30.06%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$17.4K ¥2.7M

104.42%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$211 ¥32.9K

-16.50%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$24.54 ¥3,834

-45.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$32.87 ¥5,136

-9.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$44.03 ¥6,879

1.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$10.88 ¥1,699

-43.01%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$126 ¥19.6K

531.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$12.1K ¥1.9M

-25.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$37.30 ¥5,828

129.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$23.77 ¥3,714

145.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$60.0 ¥9,367

127.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$46.57 ¥7,275

121.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$473 ¥73.9K

124.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$330 ¥51.5K

105.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,055 ¥164.8K

90.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$735 ¥114.9K

58.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$4,127 ¥644.7K

-0.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,772 ¥276.8K

-3.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kumamoto: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $473 in Kumamoto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $31.00 in Kumamoto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $302 per month, with Kumamoto 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 Kumamoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kumamoto differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $1,241 including rent). Kumamoto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,574 in Medellin and $1,862 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $473 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 27% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $126 in Kumamoto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,241 in Kumamoto versus $1,716 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 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.