Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Yamaguchi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Yamaguchi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,181 in Yamaguchi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,829 in Yamaguchi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,478 in Yamaguchi, rent included.

Medellin costs about 39% more than Yamaguchi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Yamaguchi is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.87 ¥594

107.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$32.66 ¥5,015

47.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.17 ¥794

82.21%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.34 ¥513

-11.98%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.06 ¥164

75.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.67 ¥103

117.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$3.95 ¥606

-18.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.21 ¥339

158.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.65 ¥253

-12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.96 ¥301

22.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$6.91 ¥1,060

-75.40%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.22 ¥342

30.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$18.30 ¥2,810

-45.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.64 ¥866

76.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$19.30 ¥2,963

-26.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.63 ¥557

9.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.86 ¥286

-15.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.99 ¥459

-28.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$3.38 ¥519

-31.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.21 ¥340

-9.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.58 ¥396

-41.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.07 ¥164

12.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.93 ¥143

37.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.14 ¥635

-7.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$6.44 ¥989

117.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.71 ¥263

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.90 ¥291

44.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.47 ¥226

-14.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$61.9 ¥9,500

25.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$4.12 ¥633

-68.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$2.09 ¥321

3.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$18.38 ¥2,823

-54.90%

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

$22.0K ¥3.4M

24.83%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$18.0K ¥2.8M

103.36%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$190 ¥29.1K

-11.04%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$25.04 ¥3,845

-45.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$33.96 ¥5,215

-16.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$48.10 ¥7,385

-4.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$11.28 ¥1,732

-41.05%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$130 ¥20.0K

518.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$12.5K ¥1.9M

-26.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$38.96 ¥5,983

124.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$24.04 ¥3,692

146.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$60.9 ¥9,353

128.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$49.32 ¥7,573

106.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$429 ¥65.8K

149.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$262 ¥40.2K

149.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$802 ¥123.2K

139.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$574 ¥88.1K

82.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$4,646 ¥713.4K

-11.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,992 ¥305.9K

-14.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.85

491.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Yamaguchi: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $429 in Yamaguchi. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $33.00 in Yamaguchi. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $324 in Yamaguchi – 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 Yamaguchi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 39%, 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 $1,771 in Yamaguchi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yamaguchi, 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 $33.00 in Yamaguchi. 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 $1,181 in Yamaguchi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Yamaguchi, where all-in costs run around $1,181, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Yamaguchi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yamaguchi – 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 Yamaguchi. 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.