Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsu: $1,287 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Tsu
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Tsu Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Tsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,287

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tsu

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,287 in Tsu, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Tsu $1,287

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,999 in Tsu, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Tsu $1,999

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,710 in Tsu, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Tsu $2,710

Medellin costs about 27% more than Tsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$6.22 ¥982

30.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$17.49 ¥2,763

169.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$3.91 ¥617

142.97%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$2.34 ¥369

28.63%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.14 ¥181

57.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.58 ¥90.9

143.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.10 ¥331

51.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.35 ¥372

144.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.58 ¥249

-4.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.28 ¥203

85.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$5.63 ¥889

-68.56%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.02 ¥319

43.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$12.56 ¥1,984

-18.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$9.77 ¥1,543

1.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$32.52 ¥5,135

-56.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.68 ¥581

7.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$2.29 ¥362

-32.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$6.41 ¥1,012

-65.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$4.17 ¥659

-47.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$3.84 ¥607

-48.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$3.47 ¥548

-54.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.30 ¥205

-11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.03 ¥163

20.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.53 ¥558

12.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$8.37 ¥1,322

63.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.04 ¥323

-18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$1.47 ¥233

53.74%

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

$56.5 ¥8,926

36.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$3.23 ¥509

-60.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$3.22 ¥509

-36.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$26.97 ¥4,259

-68.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.04 ¥164

29.81%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$19.0K ¥3.0M

79.37%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$16.7K ¥2.6M

107.22%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$145 ¥22.8K

17.31%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$24.21 ¥3,824

-44.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$43.47 ¥6,866

-35.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$51.3 ¥8,107

-14.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$12.93 ¥2,042

32.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$8.34 ¥1,317

-17.15%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$322 ¥50.8K

147.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$6,217 ¥981.8K

46.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$49.15 ¥7,762

72.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$25.83 ¥4,079

124.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$46.87 ¥7,403

187.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$65.4 ¥10.3K

49.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$544 ¥85.9K

122.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$342 ¥53.9K

87.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,021 ¥161.2K

98.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$738 ¥116.6K

37.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$4,287 ¥677.0K

-2.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$2,268 ¥358.3K

-15.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,511 ¥238.6K

-56.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.9

475.79%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tsu: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Tsu

$342 26.5% 46.8% $300

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Tsu

$388 30.1% 30.6% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Tsu

$212 16.5% 0.5% $1

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Tsu

$112 8.7% 34.2% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Tsu

$84 6.5% 50.1% $85

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Tsu

$82 6.4% 12.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Tsu

$68 5.3% 18.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $544 in Tsu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tsu are about 2.3 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 $17 in Tsu. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $388 in Tsu – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇯🇵 Tsu

🕒 Local time

12:33 12:33 PM

02:33 2:33 AM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

279,241

💱 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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Between locations

Medellin Tsu 14,350 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tsu

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 Tsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 27%, 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 $1,931 in Tsu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tsu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $544 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $17 in Tsu. 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 $1,287 in Tsu. That makes Tsu about 21% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,287 in Tsu. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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