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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,022 in Kurume.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,597 in Kurume.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,172 in Kurume.

Living in Medellin is roughly 1% more expensive than in Kurume, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Kurume 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$4.85 ¥788

27.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$41.86 ¥6,802

-22.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$4.17 ¥678

76.02%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.10 ¥342

-18.10%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.77 ¥125

36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.55 ¥89.4

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$3.45 ¥560

-51.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.76 ¥285

80.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.42 ¥230

-26.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.43 ¥232

-9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$4.13 ¥670

-66.10%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.10 ¥340

2.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$10.25 ¥1,665

-57.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$6.12 ¥994

-3.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$21.02 ¥3,416

-58.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$3.05 ¥496

-25.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.41 ¥229

-21.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.36 ¥222

12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$5.83 ¥947

-76.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$2.76 ¥448

-59.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$3.13 ¥508

-63.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.98 ¥159

-13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.76 ¥124

19.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$3.96 ¥643

-40.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$6.04 ¥982

104.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.94 ¥315

-38.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.21 ¥196

105.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$1.60 ¥260

-47.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$54.7 ¥8,892

-25.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$4.78 ¥776

-70.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$2.91 ¥473

-34.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$19.75 ¥3,210

-61.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.70 ¥115

41.43%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$23.3K ¥3.8M

-22.70%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$19.7K ¥3.2M

35.03%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$215 ¥34.9K

-62.42%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$27.50 ¥4,468

-63.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$24.68 ¥4,010

-2.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$55.0 ¥8,933

-54.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$13.64 ¥2,217

40.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$7.83 ¥1,272

-49.17%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$416 ¥67.6K

-26.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-54.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$42.71 ¥6,940

36.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$13.93 ¥2,263

131.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$26.69 ¥4,336

277.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$34.22 ¥5,561

214.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$211 ¥34.3K

125.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$140 ¥22.8K

168.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$527 ¥85.6K

60.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$343 ¥55.7K

112.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$4,477 ¥727.4K

-28.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$2,230 ¥362.4K

-38.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$1,480 ¥240.5K

-58.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

1.67

704.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kurume: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $211 in Kurume. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 140% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $42.00 in Kurume for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $288 per month, with Medellin 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 1% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $1,022 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 140% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $211 in Kurume. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 49% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurume – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,022 in Kurume versus $1,031 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 1% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.