Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Suginami-ku

For one person, living is cheaper in Suginami-ku: $1,245 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Suginami-ku
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Suginami-ku Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Suginami-ku

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,245

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Suginami-ku

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 Suginami-ku actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,245 in Suginami-ku, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Suginami-ku $1,245

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,938 in Suginami-ku, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Suginami-ku $1,938

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,630 in Suginami-ku, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Suginami-ku $2,630

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

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Suginami-ku is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$6.53 ¥1,031

23.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$40.78 ¥6,440

15.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$5.06 ¥799

87.75%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$3.54 ¥559

-14.97%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.07 ¥169

68.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.80 ¥126

76.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.56 ¥404

24.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.14 ¥496

83.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.44 ¥227

4.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.73 ¥273

37.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$3.73 ¥589

-52.55%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.02 ¥319

43.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$10.42 ¥1,646

-2.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$6.14 ¥970

60.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$14.38 ¥2,271

-2.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$5.65 ¥892

-29.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$2.72 ¥429

-43.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$2.86 ¥452

-23.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$4.16 ¥657

-47.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$2.56 ¥404

-23.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$2.57 ¥406

-38.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.24 ¥196

-7.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.81 ¥128

53.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.77 ¥595

5.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$6.46 ¥1,021

111.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.80 ¥285

-7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$2.05 ¥323

10.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$1.48 ¥234

-20.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$60.8 ¥9,605

27.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$3.09 ¥488

-58.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$2.64 ¥417

-22.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$20.90 ¥3,300

-59.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.07 ¥170

26.17%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$21.7K ¥3.4M

56.77%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$16.0K ¥2.5M

116.40%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$133 ¥21.0K

27.44%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$23.94 ¥3,781

-43.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$32.31 ¥5,103

-13.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$54.4 ¥8,594

-19.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$12.82 ¥2,024

-46.10%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$835 ¥131.9K

-4.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$14.9K ¥2.3M

-38.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$62.6 ¥9,886

35.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$37.77 ¥5,966

53.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$60.7 ¥9,578

122.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$104 ¥16.5K

-6.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$562 ¥88.8K

114.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$347 ¥54.8K

84.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,113 ¥175.8K

82.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$664 ¥104.9K

52.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$4,687 ¥740.2K

-11.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$2,017 ¥318.6K

-5.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$2,787 ¥440.1K

-76.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

447.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Suginami-ku: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Suginami-ku

$347 27.9% 45.9% $295

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Suginami-ku

$290 23.3% 2.3% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Suginami-ku

$189 15.2% 10.4% $22

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Suginami-ku

$136 11% 19.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Suginami-ku

$119 9.6% 29.3% $50

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Suginami-ku

$83 6.7% 11.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Suginami-ku

$80 6.4% 39.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $562 in Suginami-ku. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Suginami-ku are about 4.2 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 $41 in Suginami-ku. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $290 – making Suginami-ku the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇵 Suginami-ku

🕒 Local time

14:06 2:06 PM

04:06 4:06 AM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

540,180

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Suginami-ku 14,070 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Suginami-ku

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 Suginami-ku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 32%, 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 $1,868 in Suginami-ku. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Suginami-ku, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $562 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $41 in Suginami-ku. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Suginami-ku. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,245 in Suginami-ku. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,245 in Suginami-ku to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.