Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nagasaki Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nagasaki

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,218 in Nagasaki, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,844 in Nagasaki, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,470 in Nagasaki, rent included.

Medellin costs about 38% more than Nagasaki, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Nagasaki is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.21 ¥813

53.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$19.09 ¥2,979

150.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.08 ¥792

94.69%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.41 ¥532

-8.21%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.02 ¥159

87.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.65 ¥101

132.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.23 ¥347

39.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.33 ¥363

146.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.57 ¥245

-8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.97 ¥307

26.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$6.30 ¥982

-71.90%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.15 ¥335

37.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$9.77 ¥1,524

3.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.21 ¥501

215.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$19.61 ¥3,059

-27.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.70 ¥577

11.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.84 ¥286

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$3.00 ¥467

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$3.34 ¥522

-32.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.30 ¥358

-11.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.56 ¥399

-39.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.11 ¥173

5.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.01 ¥158

29.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.05 ¥633

-3.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.36 ¥993

120.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.78 ¥277

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.94 ¥303

47.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.35 ¥210

-9.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$58.5 ¥9,125

37.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$3.96 ¥618

-66.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.09 ¥326

4.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$18.67 ¥2,912

-53.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.13 ¥176

21.24%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$22.4K ¥3.5M

24.30%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$17.9K ¥2.8M

99.67%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$195 ¥30.4K

-9.07%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$25.63 ¥3,999

-45.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$34.84 ¥5,437

-14.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$48.26 ¥7,531

-7.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$11.25 ¥1,756

-40.89%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$130 ¥20.3K

525.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$12.4K ¥1.9M

-25.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$38.36 ¥5,986

133.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$24.70 ¥3,854

138.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$61.0 ¥9,522

126.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$48.40 ¥7,552

111.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$506 ¥78.9K

109.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$312 ¥48.7K

112.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,033 ¥161.1K

82.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$776 ¥121.1K

32.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$3,749 ¥584.9K

11.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,816 ¥283.4K

-7.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.85

491.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Nagasaki: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $506 in Nagasaki. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Nagasaki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $286 – making Nagasaki 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 Nagasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 38%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,827 in Nagasaki. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nagasaki, 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 $19.00 in Nagasaki. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $1,218 in Nagasaki. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nagasaki, where all-in costs run around $1,218, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Nagasaki it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nagasaki. 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.