Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Otsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Otsu: $1,297 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Otsu
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Otsu Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Otsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Otsu

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,297 in Otsu, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Otsu $1,297

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,890 in Otsu, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Otsu $1,890

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,482 in Otsu, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Otsu $2,482

Medellin costs about 26% more than Otsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Otsu is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$8.43 ¥1,331

-4.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$31.93 ¥5,043

47.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$5.13 ¥810

85.19%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$3.12 ¥494

-3.53%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.18 ¥187

52.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.90 ¥142

56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$3.19 ¥504

-0.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$4.51 ¥712

27.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.53 ¥242

-1.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.55 ¥245

53.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$4.52 ¥714

-60.84%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.14 ¥338

35.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$15.67 ¥2,475

-34.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$6.88 ¥1,086

43.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$17.21 ¥2,718

-18.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.95 ¥782

-19.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$2.49 ¥393

-37.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$4.97 ¥785

-56.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$4.42 ¥698

-50.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$2.20 ¥348

-10.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.87 ¥295

-14.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.19 ¥187

-3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.87 ¥137

42.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.97 ¥627

-0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$9.69 ¥1,530

41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.06 ¥326

-19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$2.19 ¥345

3.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$1.49 ¥235

-21.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$57.5 ¥9,080

34.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$3.26 ¥514

-61.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$2.85 ¥450

-28.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$28.41 ¥4,486

-69.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.12 ¥177

20.54%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

53.69%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

127.16%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$118 ¥18.6K

44.13%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$23.18 ¥3,661

-41.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$30.70 ¥4,849

-8.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$50.9 ¥8,042

-14.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$9.46 ¥1,494

81.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$12.85 ¥2,029

-46.23%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$700 ¥110.6K

13.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$12.6K ¥2.0M

-27.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$55.5 ¥8,766

52.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$36.05 ¥5,693

60.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$69.5 ¥11.0K

94.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$97.1 ¥15.3K

0.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$443 ¥69.9K

172.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$366 ¥57.9K

75.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$623 ¥98.4K

225.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$461 ¥72.9K

119.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$4,199 ¥663.1K

-0.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$2,274 ¥359.2K

-16.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,818 ¥287.0K

-63.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.1

420.95%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Otsu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Otsu

$366 28.3% 42.9% $275

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Otsu

$332 25.6% 11.7% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Otsu

$172 13.2% 18.8% $40

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Otsu

$154 11.8% 9.4% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Otsu

$116 9% 31.2% $53

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Otsu

$81 6.2% 13.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Otsu

$77 5.9% 33.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $443 in Otsu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Otsu are about 2.8 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 Otsu. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $332 in Otsu – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇵 Otsu

🕒 Local time

13:15 1:15 PM

03:15 3:15 AM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

341,314

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 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 = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Otsu 14,360 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

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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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 26%, 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 $1,945 in Otsu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Otsu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $443 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $32 in Otsu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,297 in Otsu. That makes Otsu about 21% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,297 in Otsu. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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