Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Saitama

For one person, living is cheaper in Saitama: $1,007 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Saitama
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Saitama Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Saitama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Saitama

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,007 in Saitama, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Saitama $1,007

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,330 in Saitama, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Saitama $1,330

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,653 in Saitama, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Saitama $1,653

Medellin costs about 61% more than Saitama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Saitama is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$5.55 ¥876

49.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$31.14 ¥4,920

50.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$4.86 ¥768

90.12%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.07 ¥486

-0.65%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.72 ¥114

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.65 ¥103

112.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.46 ¥389

31.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.18 ¥503

74.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.45 ¥229

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.64 ¥260

44.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$2.68 ¥423

-36.57%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.00 ¥316

48.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$10.14 ¥1,601

0.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$5.45 ¥861

78.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$14.44 ¥2,281

-3.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$5.58 ¥882

-25.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$2.25 ¥355

-32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.84 ¥449

-21.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$4.19 ¥662

-45.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$2.61 ¥412

-23.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.56 ¥247

7.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.25 ¥197

-5.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.80 ¥126

55.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$3.70 ¥585

4.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$6.32 ¥999

118.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.74 ¥274

-4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.11 ¥333

13.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$3.45 ¥545

-64.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$3.11 ¥492

-58.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$2.70 ¥427

-20.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$20.19 ¥3,190

-58.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.10 ¥174

22.73%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$21.9K ¥3.5M

58.61%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$14.4K ¥2.3M

140.98%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$131 ¥20.7K

27.17%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$17.62 ¥2,784

-22.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$31.87 ¥5,036

-8.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$61.5 ¥9,721

-26.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$11.12 ¥1,757

-37.32%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$620 ¥97.9K

27.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

-39.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$34.90 ¥5,514

151.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$25.61 ¥4,047

127.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$55.5 ¥8,772

150.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$61.9 ¥9,773

59.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$414 ¥65.3K

148.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$237 ¥37.4K

161.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,505 ¥237.7K

-55.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.06

431.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Saitama: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Saitama

$237 23.5% 61.8% $383

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Saitama

$275 27.4% 7.6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Saitama

$181 17.9% 13.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Saitama

$80 8% 53.6% $93

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Saitama

$120 11.9% 29.7% $51

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Saitama

$30 * 3% 68% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Saitama

$84 8.3% 41.9% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $414 in Saitama. 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 127% higher in Saitama, 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 $31.00 in Saitama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $275 – making Saitama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇵 Saitama

🕒 Local time

10:30 10:30 AM

00:30 12:30 AM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,182,115

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Saitama 14,060 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 Saitama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,510 in Saitama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 8% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Saitama, where all-in costs run around $1,007, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Saitama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saitama – 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 Saitama. 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.