Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Okinawa: $1,399 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Okinawa

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,399 in Okinawa, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Okinawa $1,399

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $2,189 in Okinawa, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Okinawa $2,189

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $2,979 in Okinawa, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Okinawa $2,979

Medellin costs about 14% more than Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Medellin and Okinawa sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Okinawa by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$10.13 ¥1,602

-20.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 149.9K

$39.78 ¥6,288

17.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.4K

$7.04 ¥1,112

33.95%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,374

$4.26 ¥674

-31.69%

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

$1.75 COP 5,643

$1.47 ¥233

19.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,263

$1.00 ¥158

32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.01 ¥318

55.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

$4.55 ¥719

21.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,542

$1.64 ¥258

-14.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,858

$2.15 ¥340

13.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,245

$3.84 ¥606

-57.55%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,084

$1.75 ¥277

61.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.2K

$17.94 ¥2,835

-45.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.0K

$4.87 ¥770

91.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.3K

$22.16 ¥3,503

-39.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$3.62 ¥572

10.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,768

$2.63 ¥416

-43.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,839

$2.14 ¥338

-0.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,253

$5.18 ¥819

-56.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,155

$2.41 ¥380

-20.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,214

$2.58 ¥407

-37.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$1.31 ¥207

-12.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,063

$0.74 ¥117

70.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$3.99 ¥630

-4.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.2K

$6.42 ¥1,015

104.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,136

$1.87 ¥295

-14.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,263

$3.19 ¥504

-29.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$1.47 ¥232

-20.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 241.5K

$67.2 ¥10.6K

11.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$3.97 ¥627

-68.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,600

$3.56 ¥563

-42.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.4K

$11.44 ¥1,808

-28.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,088

$1.09 ¥173

16.51%

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

$26.8K COP 86.2M

$21.3K ¥3.4M

26.00%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

123.32%

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

$162 COP 522.3K

$162 ¥25.6K

0.17%

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

$13.12 COP 42.3K

$24.91 ¥3,938

-47.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.5K

$53.8 ¥8,503

-47.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 142.7K

$71.3 ¥11.3K

-37.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.6K

$54.9 ¥8,679

-70.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$12.17 ¥1,924

-49.96%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$329 ¥52.0K

132.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$5,538 ¥875.3K

60.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 273.6K

$50.1 ¥7,913

69.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.1K

$23.29 ¥3,681

146.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 424.2K

$78.8 ¥12.5K

67.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 308.3K

$94.6 ¥14.9K

1.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$404 ¥63.9K

154.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$328 ¥51.9K

84.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$826 ¥130.5K

118.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$663 ¥104.8K

49.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.6M

$8,594 ¥1.4M

-54.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

$1,206 ¥190.6K

35.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$1,849 ¥292.3K

-66.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.23

390.58%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Okinawa

$328 23.8% 45.7% $276

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Okinawa

$328 23.8% 13.8% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Okinawa

$241 17.4% 18.3% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Okinawa

$111 8% 33.3% $55

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Okinawa

$182 13.2% 9.6% $16

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Okinawa

$95 6.9% 4% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Okinawa

$96 6.9% 69.3% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $404 in Okinawa. 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 195% higher in Okinawa, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $40.00 in Okinawa. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Medellin vs $328 in Okinawa – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

19:29 7:29 PM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

142,752

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.65 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,608 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Okinawa 15,580 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Okinawa

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 Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $2,098 in Okinawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Okinawa, 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $40.00 in Okinawa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $1,399 in Okinawa. That's a gap of about 14%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Okinawa, where all-in costs run around $1,399, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Okinawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Okinawa – 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 Okinawa. 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.