Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Niigata

For one person, living is cheaper in Niigata: $728 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Niigata
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Niigata Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Niigata

🇯🇵 Japan

$728

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Niigata

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $728 in Niigata, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Niigata $728

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,106 in Niigata, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Niigata $1,106

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,485 in Niigata, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Niigata $1,485

Medellin costs about 125% more than Niigata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Niigata is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$6.43 ¥1,014

25.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$17.74 ¥2,798

165.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$5.02 ¥792

89.24%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.68 ¥422

12.31%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.10 ¥174

63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.78 ¥124

80.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.53 ¥398

25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.77 ¥438

107.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.22 ¥192

23.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.97 ¥152

145.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$2.49 ¥392

-28.92%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.26 ¥356

27.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$7.41 ¥1,169

37.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$6.74 ¥1,064

46.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$16.47 ¥2,598

-15.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.21 ¥506

23.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.31 ¥206

18.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.55 ¥402

-14.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$2.23 ¥352

-2.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.94 ¥306

1.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.93 ¥305

-17.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.92 ¥146

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.60 ¥94.5

106.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.84 ¥606

3.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$4.31 ¥679

217.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.68 ¥265

-1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.86 ¥293

21.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$1.31 ¥207

-10.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$2.63 ¥415

-51.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$3.23 ¥509

-36.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$18.80 ¥2,965

-54.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.05 ¥165

28.57%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$19.3K ¥3.0M

76.29%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$12.8K ¥2.0M

169.87%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$147 ¥23.1K

15.80%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$23.08 ¥3,639

-41.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$25.23 ¥3,979

11.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$51.4 ¥8,103

-14.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$6.27 ¥989

174.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$12.30 ¥1,939

-43.82%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$64.7 ¥10.2K

1131.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$18.3K ¥2.9M

-50.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$31.68 ¥4,996

167.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$33.10 ¥5,220

75.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$38.84 ¥6,124

247.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$64.7 ¥10.2K

51.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$351 ¥55.3K

244.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,272 ¥200.6K

-48.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.48

639.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Niigata: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Niigata

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Niigata

$233 32% 21.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Niigata

$195 26.8% 7.8% $16

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Niigata

$124 17.1% 26.7% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Niigata

$76 10.4% 55.2% $93

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Niigata

$24 * 3.3% 74.3% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Niigata

$76 10.4% 32.1% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $351 in Niigata. 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 94% higher in Niigata, 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 $47 in Medellin versus $18 in Niigata. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $233 – making Niigata the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇵 Niigata

🕒 Local time

20:58 8:58 PM

10:58 10:58 AM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

811,639

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Niigata 13,930 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 Niigata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 125%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,092 in Niigata. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Niigata, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $351 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $18 in Niigata. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Niigata, where all-in costs run around $728, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Niigata it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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