Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nagano Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nagano

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,199 in Nagano, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,906 in Nagano, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,614 in Nagano, rent included.

Medellin costs about 43% more than Nagano, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Nagano is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$6.16 ¥962

30.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$43.16 ¥6,742

11.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$5.08 ¥794

92.32%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$3.49 ¥546

-16.62%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.04 ¥162

86.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.77 ¥121

97.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$2.44 ¥381

26.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.20 ¥500

79.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.42 ¥222

-4.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.71 ¥267

39.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$3.68 ¥574

-53.80%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$2.05 ¥319

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$11.57 ¥1,808

-14.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$5.91 ¥923

82.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$14.01 ¥2,189

5.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$5.47 ¥854

-25.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$2.80 ¥438

-43.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$2.80 ¥437

-23.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$4.27 ¥668

-48.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$2.48 ¥388

-17.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$2.56 ¥399

-41.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.22 ¥190

-2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.75 ¥117

54.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.69 ¥577

5.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$6.41 ¥1,001

125.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.72 ¥269

-8.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$1.99 ¥311

42.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$1.33 ¥208

-12.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$47.96 ¥7,492

62.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$3.11 ¥486

-58.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$2.52 ¥394

-17.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$20.73 ¥3,239

-58.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.10 ¥171

18.18%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$20.8K ¥3.3M

32.70%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$18.4K ¥2.9M

93.50%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$128 ¥20.0K

37.22%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$23.65 ¥3,694

-43.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$12.62 ¥1,972

136.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$51.2 ¥8,000

-12.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$12.43 ¥1,942

-50.12%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$634 ¥99.0K

25.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$14.3K ¥2.2M

-37.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$61.7 ¥9,635

38.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$31.70 ¥4,951

84.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$61.3 ¥9,573

122.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$102 ¥15.9K

1.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$454 ¥71.0K

133.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$356 ¥55.7K

90.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,092 ¥170.5K

84.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$720 ¥112.5K

62.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$4,178 ¥652.6K

-1.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,778 ¥277.7K

-4.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$616 ¥96.2K

8.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.12

416.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Nagano: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $454 in Nagano. 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 8% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $43.00 in Nagano. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $289 – making Nagano the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Nagano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 43%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,798 in Nagano. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $43.00 in Nagano. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,716 in Medellin and $1,199 in Nagano. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nagano, where all-in costs run around $1,199, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Nagano it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nagano – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Nagano. 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.