Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kurume Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kurume

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $943 in Kurume.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,507 in Kurume.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,072 in Kurume.

Living in Medellin is roughly 74% more expensive than in Kurume, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Kurume is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.17 ¥641

92.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$41.86 ¥6,428

15.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$3.58 ¥550

163.13%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.83 ¥280

60.66%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.66 ¥101

181.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.50 ¥77.0

192.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$3.09 ¥475

3.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.59 ¥243

259.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.22 ¥188

18.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.27 ¥196

88.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$4.91 ¥754

-65.38%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.90 ¥292

52.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$18.12 ¥2,782

-44.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.48 ¥842

81.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$17.35 ¥2,664

-18.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.52 ¥541

13.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.86 ¥286

-15.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.80 ¥430

-23.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$3.24 ¥497

-29.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.15 ¥330

-6.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.52 ¥386

-40.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.02 ¥156

17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.91 ¥140

40.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.51 ¥540

9.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$6.29 ¥966

122.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.68 ¥258

1.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.13 ¥173

142.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.44 ¥222

-13.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$56.6 ¥8,688

37.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$3.79 ¥582

-65.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$2.04 ¥314

6.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$17.64 ¥2,708

-53.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.64 ¥98.2

112.50%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$21.9K ¥3.4M

25.36%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$17.6K ¥2.7M

107.11%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$214 ¥32.8K

-21.01%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$24.15 ¥3,709

-43.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$22.63 ¥3,474

25.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$51.3 ¥7,871

-10.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.93 ¥1,065

-4.04%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$124 ¥19.0K

549.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$11.9K ¥1.8M

-23.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$37.04 ¥5,687

135.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$12.33 ¥1,893

381.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$24.83 ¥3,813

459.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$30.95 ¥4,753

229.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$473 ¥72.6K

126.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$124 ¥19.1K

424.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$463 ¥71.1K

315.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$309 ¥47.5K

238.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$4,320 ¥663.4K

-4.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,916 ¥294.3K

-11.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,483 ¥227.8K

-55.84%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kurume: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $473 in Kurume. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 126% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $42.00 in Kurume for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $292 per month, with Kurume 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 Kurume: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kurume differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $943 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 126% lower in Kurume. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $473 in Kurume. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurume – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $943 in Kurume versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kurume but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kurume 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.

Expats usually find Kurume gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.