Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Matsudo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Matsudo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,187 in Matsudo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,947 in Matsudo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,707 in Matsudo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 42% more expensive than in Matsudo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Matsudo is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$6.40 ¥1,000

25.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$38.62 ¥6,031

23.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$5.14 ¥803

92.41%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.62 ¥566

-13.54%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.09 ¥170

75.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.81 ¥127

86.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.65 ¥413

17.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.27 ¥511

75.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.48 ¥231

-2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.69 ¥265

47.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$3.67 ¥573

-51.77%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.12 ¥331

39.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$11.01 ¥1,720

-8.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$6.39 ¥998

58.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$15.00 ¥2,343

-4.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$5.15 ¥804

-19.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.43 ¥380

-33.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.88 ¥449

-21.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$4.26 ¥665

-47.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.62 ¥410

-22.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$2.66 ¥415

-42.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.26 ¥197

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.82 ¥128

59.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$3.84 ¥599

1.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$6.40 ¥1,000

118.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.81 ¥282

-3.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.09 ¥327

37.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.56 ¥244

-21.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$58.8 ¥9,186

36.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.30 ¥515

-60.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.66 ¥415

-17.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$19.38 ¥3,026

-55.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.09 ¥170

25.69%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$21.7K ¥3.4M

28.09%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$15.5K ¥2.4M

131.08%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$134 ¥20.9K

32.57%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$22.46 ¥3,508

-38.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$31.04 ¥4,847

-4.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$47.29 ¥7,386

-5.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$13.18 ¥2,058

-49.54%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$639 ¥99.8K

27.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

-39.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$54.5 ¥8,513

64.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$32.57 ¥5,087

81.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$63.2 ¥9,863

118.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$72.1 ¥11.3K

41.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$456 ¥71.2K

132.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$318 ¥49.7K

108.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$906 ¥141.5K

108.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$751 ¥117.3K

36.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$4,048 ¥632.1K

3.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,866 ¥291.4K

-10.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.94

463.92%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Matsudo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $456 in Matsudo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Matsudo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $292 per month, with Matsudo 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 Matsudo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matsudo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,781 in Matsudo 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $456 in Matsudo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Matsudo runs roughly 37% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $639 in Matsudo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,187 in Matsudo versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Matsudo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Matsudo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Matsudo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Matsudo 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 Matsudo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.