Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tokyo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tokyo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,692 in Tokyo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,641 in Tokyo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $3,589 in Tokyo, rent included.

Medellin is about 3% cheaper than Tokyo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Tokyo sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Tokyo by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$7.83 ¥1,202

2.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$39.04 ¥5,995

23.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.27 ¥809

78.75%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.71 ¥569

-20.75%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.74 ¥268

6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.90 ¥138

62.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$3.97 ¥609

-19.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$5.28 ¥810

8.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.61 ¥248

-10.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.79 ¥274

34.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$5.76 ¥885

-70.49%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.25 ¥345

28.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.04 ¥1,696

-8.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$7.74 ¥1,189

28.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$20.30 ¥3,117

-30.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$5.33 ¥819

-25.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.49 ¥382

-36.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$4.72 ¥724

-54.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$5.78 ¥888

-60.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$3.61 ¥554

-44.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$3.39 ¥521

-55.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.27 ¥195

-5.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.80 ¥123

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.12 ¥633

-6.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$9.85 ¥1,513

42.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.81 ¥278

-5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.17 ¥486

-13.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.29 ¥198

-3.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$72.0 ¥11.1K

8.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$3.17 ¥487

-58.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$3.18 ¥488

-31.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$19.21 ¥2,950

-56.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.13 ¥174

20.35%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$22.2K ¥3.4M

23.99%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$15.6K ¥2.4M

134.61%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$162 ¥24.8K

4.30%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$22.42 ¥3,443

-39.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$30.34 ¥4,659

-6.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$64.9 ¥9,958

-29.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$26.93 ¥4,135

-36.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$13.04 ¥2,003

-49.00%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$1,347 ¥206.9K

-40.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$18.6K ¥2.9M

-50.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$53.0 ¥8,137

64.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$33.21 ¥5,100

78.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$63.7 ¥9,782

118.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$73.2 ¥11.2K

39.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$1,290 ¥198.1K

-17.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$687 ¥105.5K

-4.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$2,550 ¥391.5K

-24.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,374 ¥210.9K

-23.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$9,017 ¥1.4M

-54.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$4,353 ¥668.4K

-61.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$2,959 ¥454.4K

-77.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.94

463.92%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $1,290 in Tokyo. 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 352% higher in Tokyo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $39.00 in Tokyo. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $355 in Tokyo – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tokyo is pricier by about 3%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $2,538 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $39.00 in Tokyo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $1,692 in Tokyo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Tokyo at $1,692. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tokyo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.