Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shizuoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Shizuoka: $1,138 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Shizuoka
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Shizuoka Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Shizuoka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Shizuoka

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,138 in Shizuoka, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Shizuoka $1,138

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,789 in Shizuoka, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Shizuoka $1,789

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,441 in Shizuoka, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Shizuoka $2,441

Medellin costs about 42% more than Shizuoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Shizuoka is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$6.42 ¥1,015

23.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$31.81 ¥5,026

45.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$5.08 ¥802

87.01%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.96 ¥468

5.07%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.97 ¥152

88.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.76 ¥119

81.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$2.75 ¥435

10.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.83 ¥605

43.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.51 ¥239

-3.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.25 ¥198

88.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$4.49 ¥709

-62.58%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.83 ¥289

56.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$7.11 ¥1,123

43.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$5.40 ¥853

76.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$14.11 ¥2,229

-0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.29 ¥519

23.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.93 ¥305

-22.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$3.42 ¥541

-36.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$3.13 ¥495

-26.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.51 ¥239

27.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.13 ¥179

45.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.11 ¥176

1.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.86 ¥135

45.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.86 ¥610

3.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$8.70 ¥1,375

53.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.48 ¥233

14.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.24 ¥512

-26.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$1.79 ¥283

-32.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$53.9 ¥8,514

41.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$3.46 ¥546

-61.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.86 ¥293

15.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$19.01 ¥3,003

-55.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.04 ¥165

25.00%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$21.7K ¥3.4M

29.05%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

131.81%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$138 ¥21.8K

24.66%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$15.18 ¥2,398

-11.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$30.16 ¥4,764

-4.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$52.6 ¥8,316

-14.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$10.82 ¥1,709

57.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$12.21 ¥1,928

-48.57%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$320 ¥50.5K

140.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$13.3K ¥2.1M

-32.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$18.49 ¥2,921

367.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$21.38 ¥3,378

167.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$61.6 ¥9,725

121.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$90.5 ¥14.3K

8.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$331 ¥52.3K

218.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$333 ¥52.6K

85.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,084 ¥171.2K

74.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$731 ¥115.5K

39.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$4,146 ¥655.0K

-2.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,741 ¥275.0K

-3.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$2,232 ¥352.7K

-70.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

994.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shizuoka: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Shizuoka

$333 29.3% 46% $283

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Shizuoka

$254 22.3% 13.9% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Shizuoka

$183 16.1% 14.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Shizuoka

$86 7.6% 49.2% $84

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Shizuoka

$131 11.5% 22.5% $38

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Shizuoka

$74 6.5% 20.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Shizuoka

$77 6.8% 33.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $331 in Shizuoka. 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 242% higher in Shizuoka, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $32.00 in Shizuoka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $254 – making Shizuoka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇵 Shizuoka

🕒 Local time

00:19 12:19 AM

14:19 2:19 PM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

701,803

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Shizuoka 14,210 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 Shizuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,706 in Shizuoka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shizuoka, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $32.00 in Shizuoka. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,138 in Shizuoka. That's a gap of about 42%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shizuoka, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Shizuoka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shizuoka – 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 Shizuoka. 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.