Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tsushima Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsushima Island: $1,232 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Tsushima Island, Japan
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Tsushima Island
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,232
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tsushima Island

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,232 in Tsushima Island, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Tsushima Island $1,232

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,930 in Tsushima Island, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Tsushima Island $1,930

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,629 in Tsushima Island, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Tsushima Island $2,629

Medellin costs about 37% more than Tsushima Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Tsushima Island is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Tsushima Island
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 27.0K
$6.98 ¥1,106
19.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.9K
$35.22 ¥5,579
32.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.7K
$5.63 ¥893
68.21%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.2K
$3.10 ¥491
0.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,727
$1.14 ¥181
55.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,619
$0.82 ¥129
73.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$2.06 ¥327
52.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.5K
$3.10 ¥491
83.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Tsushima Island
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,969
$1.52 ¥241
0.66%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,429
$1.67 ¥264
37.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,306
$4.69 ¥743
-58.64%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,942
$2.26 ¥358
35.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.4K
$10.19 ¥1,615
-1.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.9K
$6.17 ¥977
69.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.3K
$15.46 ¥2,449
-9.70%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$5.42 ¥858
-25.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,956
$2.62 ¥416
-41.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,823
$3.95 ¥626
-46.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,437
$4.49 ¥711
-49.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,839
$3.35 ¥531
-37.01%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,542
$2.55 ¥403
-32.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,794
$1.32 ¥209
-11.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,123
$0.87 ¥139
81.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.7K
$4.08 ¥646
-4.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.5K
$6.48 ¥1,027
116.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,712
$1.94 ¥307
-9.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,793
$2.36 ¥374
14.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Tsushima Island
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,825
$1.60 ¥254
-26.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 247.4K
$55.6 ¥8,813
37.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,859
$3.54 ¥561
-48.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,904
$2.99 ¥474
-28.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.4K
$20.96 ¥3,320
-61.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,135
$1.19 ¥188
7.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.7M
$23.6K ¥3.7M
45.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.7M
$17.2K ¥2.7M
98.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Tsushima Island
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 576.3K
$138 ¥21.9K
28.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 45.0K
$27.47 ¥4,351
-49.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.7K
$33.39 ¥5,289
-7.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Tsushima Island
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 136.0K
$58.3 ¥9,231
-28.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.5K
$13.99 ¥2,216
20.09%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.2K
$13.37 ¥2,118
-44.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Tsushima Island
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$284 ¥45.1K
177.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.9M
$13.3K ¥2.1M
-7.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Tsushima Island
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 279.9K
$43.63 ¥6,912
97.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 192.2K
$29.76 ¥4,715
99.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 448.6K
$59.3 ¥9,388
133.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 320.4K
$90.5 ¥14.3K
9.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Tsushima Island
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$473 ¥74.9K
183.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$326 ¥51.6K
104.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$873 ¥138.3K
126.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$666 ¥105.5K
55.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.3M
$2,785 ¥441.2K
47.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$1,744 ¥276.3K
11.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Tsushima Island
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
1.81
504.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tsushima Island: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Tsushima Island
$326 51.2% $341
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Tsushima Island
$307 0.2% $0.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Tsushima Island
$199 10.5% $23
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Tsushima Island
$134 22.2% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Tsushima Island
$100 41.7% $72
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Tsushima Island
$81 13.8% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Tsushima Island
$85 49.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $473 in Tsushima Island. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $35 in Tsushima Island. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $307 in Tsushima Island – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇯🇵 Tsushima Island
🕒 Local time
18:43 6:43 PM
08:43 8:43 AM
14 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
28,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.61 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Tsushima Island 14,810 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Tsushima Island

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 Tsushima Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tsushima Island cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,848 in Tsushima Island. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tsushima Island, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $473 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Tsushima Island?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $35 in Tsushima Island. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 27% less in Tsushima Island. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,000 enough for either Medellin or Tsushima Island?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,692 in Medellin and $1,232 in Tsushima Island, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Medellin or Tsushima Island more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Tsushima Island – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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