Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nagoya

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagoya: $1,369 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Nagoya
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Nagoya Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Nagoya

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,369

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Nagoya

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,369 in Nagoya, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Nagoya $1,369

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,170 in Nagoya, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Nagoya $2,170

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,972 in Nagoya, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Nagoya $2,972

Medellin costs about 18% more than Nagoya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Nagoya sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Nagoya by 1%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$8.57 ¥1,355

-7.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$31.14 ¥4,919

48.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$5.11 ¥808

85.91%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.39 ¥377

30.13%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.24 ¥195

47.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.85 ¥135

62.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$3.09 ¥489

-1.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.20 ¥505

71.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.51 ¥239

-3.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.52 ¥241

55.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$4.03 ¥637

-58.31%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.15 ¥339

33.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$15.68 ¥2,477

-35.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$7.14 ¥1,129

33.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$16.92 ¥2,674

-17.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$8.42 ¥1,330

-51.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.90 ¥459

-48.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$4.86 ¥768

-55.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$7.84 ¥1,238

-70.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$4.08 ¥645

-52.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$4.75 ¥750

-65.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.14 ¥180

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.94 ¥148

32.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.86 ¥610

3.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$9.47 ¥1,496

40.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.49 ¥393

-31.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.18 ¥345

8.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$1.49 ¥235

-18.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$118 ¥18.6K

-35.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$3.20 ¥505

-58.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$2.85 ¥451

-24.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$15.80 ¥2,495

-46.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.10 ¥173

18.18%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$21.6K ¥3.4M

29.37%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$14.9K ¥2.4M

137.89%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$115 ¥18.2K

49.58%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$23.65 ¥3,736

-43.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$31.18 ¥4,926

-7.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$50.5 ¥7,971

-10.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$13.41 ¥2,119

27.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$11.29 ¥1,784

-44.38%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$572 ¥90.3K

34.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

-39.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$49.53 ¥7,826

74.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$35.86 ¥5,666

59.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$59.7 ¥9,427

128.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$99.5 ¥15.7K

-1.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$537 ¥84.9K

96.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$352 ¥55.6K

75.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,199 ¥189.5K

57.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$749 ¥118.3K

36.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,031 ¥320.8K

99.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,030 ¥162.7K

62.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$1,882 ¥297.4K

-65.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.02

441.58%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nagoya: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Nagoya

$352 25.7% 42.9% $264

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Nagoya

$380 27.8% 29% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Nagoya

$170 12.4% 20.7% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Nagoya

$110 8% 35.3% $60

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Nagoya

$143 10.4% 15.2% $26

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Nagoya

$141 10.3% 51.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Nagoya

$73 5.3% 26.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $537 in Nagoya. 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 189% higher in Nagoya, 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 $31.00 in Nagoya. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $380 in Nagoya – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇵 Nagoya

🕒 Local time

22:30 10:30 PM

12:30 12:30 PM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,236,000

💱 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 Nagoya 14,290 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

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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 Nagoya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,053 in Nagoya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nagoya, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $31.00 in Nagoya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,369 in Nagoya. That's a gap of about 18%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nagoya, where all-in costs run around $1,369, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Nagoya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nagoya – 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 Nagoya. 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.