Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nishinomiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Nishinomiya: $1,282 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Nishinomiya, Japan
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Nishinomiya
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,282
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Nishinomiya

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,282 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Nishinomiya $1,282

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,027 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Nishinomiya $2,027

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,773 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Nishinomiya $2,773

Medellin costs about 32% more than Nishinomiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Nishinomiya is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Nishinomiya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$8.66 ¥1,372
-3.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.3K
$31.93 ¥5,055
45.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$5.11 ¥808
85.32%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$2.39 ¥378
30.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,704
$1.20 ¥189
47.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,600
$0.59 ¥92.9
140.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$2.12 ¥335
48.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$2.37 ¥375
140.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Nishinomiya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,949
$1.57 ¥249
-2.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,399
$1.48 ¥235
54.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,281
$5.60 ¥887
-65.36%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,902
$2.23 ¥353
37.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$12.95 ¥2,051
-22.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$9.25 ¥1,465
12.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$31.40 ¥4,972
-55.54%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$5.15 ¥816
-21.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,936
$1.75 ¥277
-12.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,795
$3.13 ¥495
-32.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,407
$6.07 ¥960
-62.27%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,812
$1.57 ¥249
34.39%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,519
$2.52 ¥399
-32.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,779
$1.18 ¥187
-0.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,102
$0.95 ¥151
66.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$3.51 ¥556
11.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.4K
$9.77 ¥1,547
43.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,689
$2.45 ¥389
-28.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,758
$1.52 ¥241
78.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Nishinomiya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,810
$1.50 ¥238
-21.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.4K
$57.4 ¥9,082
33.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,835
$3.15 ¥499
-42.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,876
$2.94 ¥466
-27.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
$15.90 ¥2,517
-48.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,118
$1.12 ¥178
14.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
$19.9K ¥3.2M
72.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.2M
$15.2K ¥2.4M
123.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Nishinomiya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.9K
$117 ¥18.6K
51.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$23.81 ¥3,770
-41.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.3K
$31.89 ¥5,050
-3.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Nishinomiya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.4K
$62.3 ¥9,859
-32.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.3K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$12.69 ¥2,009
-41.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Nishinomiya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$330 ¥52.3K
139.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$6,123 ¥969.5K
100.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Nishinomiya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.8K
$49.85 ¥7,892
73.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.4K
$25.22 ¥3,993
134.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.7K
$45.29 ¥7,170
205.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.1K
$65.6 ¥10.4K
50.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Nishinomiya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$559 ¥88.5K
140.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$340 ¥53.8K
96.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$1,029 ¥162.9K
92.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$716 ¥113.4K
44.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$4,251 ¥673.0K
-3.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$2,319 ¥367.1K
-16.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Nishinomiya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$2,056 ¥325.6K
-68.58%
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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Nishinomiya: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Nishinomiya
$340 49.1% $328
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Nishinomiya
$381 24% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Nishinomiya
$173 22.2% $49
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Nishinomiya
$136 21.3% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Nishinomiya
$84 51.4% $89
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Nishinomiya
$81 13.1% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Nishinomiya
$88 54.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $559 in Nishinomiya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Nishinomiya are about 3.2 times higher, 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 $32 in Nishinomiya. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $381 in Nishinomiya – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇯🇵 Nishinomiya
🕒 Local time
11:50 11:50 AM
01:50 1:50 AM
14 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
488,873
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.62 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Nishinomiya 14,420 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Nishinomiya

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 Nishinomiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nishinomiya cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,923 in Nishinomiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nishinomiya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $559 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Nishinomiya?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $32 in Nishinomiya. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Nishinomiya?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $1,282 in Nishinomiya. That makes Nishinomiya about 24% cheaper.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Nishinomiya?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nishinomiya, where all-in costs run around $1,282, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Nishinomiya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Nishinomiya more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Nishinomiya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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