Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kyoto

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyoto: $1,229 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Kyoto
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Kyoto Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Kyoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,229

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kyoto

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,229 in Kyoto, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Kyoto $1,229

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,987 in Kyoto, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Kyoto $1,987

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,745 in Kyoto, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Kyoto $2,745

Medellin costs about 31% more than Kyoto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Kyoto is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$9.52 ¥1,504

-16.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$31.84 ¥5,031

44.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$5.00 ¥791

90.00%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.35 ¥529

-7.16%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.83 ¥132

120.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.73 ¥115

89.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$3.18 ¥503

-4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$5.51 ¥870

-0.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.55 ¥244

-6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.63 ¥258

44.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$5.74 ¥907

-70.73%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.12 ¥335

34.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$8.57 ¥1,353

18.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$7.58 ¥1,197

25.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$10.70 ¥1,690

31.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$5.16 ¥815

-21.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.27 ¥359

-33.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$4.94 ¥781

-56.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$3.51 ¥555

-34.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.94 ¥307

-0.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.66 ¥262

-1.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.18 ¥187

-4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.99 ¥156

26.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.86 ¥610

3.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$7.52 ¥1,189

77.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.56 ¥247

8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.27 ¥517

-27.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$1.48 ¥234

-18.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$63.5 ¥10.0K

20.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$3.25 ¥513

-59.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$3.77 ¥596

-43.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$28.62 ¥4,521

-70.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.06 ¥167

22.64%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

28.51%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

134.19%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$102 ¥16.1K

69.28%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$23.50 ¥3,712

-43.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$31.15 ¥4,921

-7.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$52.3 ¥8,265

-13.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$19.00 ¥3,001

-10.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$12.06 ¥1,905

-47.93%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$642 ¥101.5K

19.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$6,412 ¥1.0M

40.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$56.8 ¥8,980

52.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$45.66 ¥7,214

25.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$69.4 ¥11.0K

96.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$105 ¥16.5K

-6.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$552 ¥87.1K

91.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$325 ¥51.4K

89.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,743 ¥275.4K

8.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$766 ¥121.0K

33.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,241 ¥354.0K

81.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,270 ¥200.7K

32.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$1,889 ¥298.5K

-65.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.23

390.58%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kyoto: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Kyoto

$325 26.5% 47.2% $290

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Kyoto

$291 23.7% 1.3% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Kyoto

$156 12.7% 27% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Kyoto

$124 10.1% 26.8% $46

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Kyoto

$165 13.4% 2.3% $3.8

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Kyoto

$91 7.4% 2% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Kyoto

$76 6.2% 32.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $552 in Kyoto. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 190% higher in Kyoto, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $32.00 in Kyoto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $291 – making Kyoto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇵 Kyoto

🕒 Local time

21:39 9:39 PM

11:39 11:39 AM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,475,183

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 →

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Medellin Kyoto 14,370 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
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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 Kyoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,614 in Medellin, $1,229 in Kyoto – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,844 in Kyoto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kyoto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $32.00 in Kyoto. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kyoto, where all-in costs run around $1,229, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Kyoto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,229 in Kyoto to $1,614 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Kyoto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.