Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nagasaki and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagasaki: $1,277 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nagasaki
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,277
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nagasaki and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nagasaki and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,277 per month in Nagasaki vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Nagasaki $1,277
  • Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,859 per month in Nagasaki vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Nagasaki $1,859
  • Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,441 per month in Nagasaki vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Nagasaki $2,441
  • Medellin $3,190

Nagasaki is about 21% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nagasaki
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.00 ¥789
$7.93 COP 25.2K
-36.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.95 ¥2,994
$46.13 COP 146.3K
-58.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.92 ¥778
$9.50 COP 30.1K
-48.21%
Cappuccino
$3.76 ¥594
$3.11 COP 9,866
20.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 ¥166
$1.83 COP 5,800
-42.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72 ¥113
$1.38 COP 4,360
-47.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.24 ¥355
$3.05 COP 9,672
-26.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 ¥356
$5.50 COP 17.4K
-59.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nagasaki
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ¥244
$1.45 COP 4,600
6.90%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 ¥299
$2.36 COP 7,496
-19.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.32 ¥998
$1.68 COP 5,328
276.19%
Eggs
$2.02 ¥319
$2.86 COP 9,077
-29.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.69 ¥1,531
$10.19 COP 32.3K
-4.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.18 ¥502
$9.53 COP 30.2K
-66.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.16 ¥3,028
$14.04 COP 44.5K
36.47%
Apples (1kg)
$3.71 ¥586
$4.07 COP 12.9K
-8.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.88 ¥296
$1.50 COP 4,742
25.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.76 ¥435
$2.17 COP 6,891
27.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.35 ¥530
$2.31 COP 7,310
45.02%
Potato (1kg)
$2.15 ¥340
$1.93 COP 6,113
11.40%
Onion (1kg)
$2.55 ¥402
$1.64 COP 5,196
55.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ¥170
$1.13 COP 3,571
-5.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.92 ¥146
$1.25 COP 3,954
-26.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.97 ¥628
$3.99 COP 12.6K
-0.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.18 ¥977
$13.35 COP 42.3K
-53.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 ¥260
$1.70 COP 5,384
-3.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 ¥292
$2.37 COP 7,525
-21.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Nagasaki
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.65 ¥261
$1.21 COP 3,827
36.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.9 ¥8,518
$76.5 COP 242.5K
-29.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.96 ¥625
$1.32 COP 4,179
200.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.03 ¥321
$2.14 COP 6,774
-5.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.87 ¥2,823
$8.47 COP 26.8K
110.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.07 ¥169
$1.30 COP 4,114
-17.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.0K ¥3.5M
$28.0K COP 88.7M
-21.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.7K ¥2.8M
$35.4K COP 112.3M
-50.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nagasaki
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$209 ¥33.0K
$172 COP 545.6K
21.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.63 ¥3,892
$13.37 COP 42.4K
84.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.77 ¥5,178
$28.73 COP 91.1K
14.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nagasaki
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.08 ¥7,281
$45.24 COP 143.5K
1.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.04 COP 54.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.22 ¥1,772
$6.28 COP 19.9K
78.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nagasaki
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$126 ¥19.8K
$770 COP 2.4M
-83.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K ¥1.9M
$9,011 COP 28.6M
36.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nagasaki
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.78 ¥7,864
$86.4 COP 274.0K
-42.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.03 ¥4,113
$57.1 COP 181.1K
-54.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.6 ¥10.5K
$137 COP 432.9K
-51.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$47.35 ¥7,480
$97.9 COP 310.4K
-51.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nagasaki
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$535 ¥84.6K
$1,055 COP 3.3M
-49.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$380 ¥60.1K
$616 COP 2.0M
-38.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,193 ¥188.5K
$1,892 COP 6.0M
-36.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$683 ¥108.0K
$1,023 COP 3.2M
-33.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,200 ¥663.6K
$4,059 COP 12.9M
3.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,759 ¥277.9K
$1,678 COP 5.3M
4.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nagasaki
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$652 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.97
10.94
-81.99%

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

Last update for Nagasaki: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nagasaki
$380
Medellin
$616 61.9% $235
Groceries & Markets
Nagasaki
$279
Medellin
$295 5.6% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nagasaki
$266
Medellin
$214 19.6% $52
Eating Out
Nagasaki
$123
Medellin
$168 37.3% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Nagasaki
$85
Medellin
$170 99.2% $85
Getting Around
Nagasaki
$75
Medellin
$93 25% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Nagasaki
$69
Medellin
$58 15.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $535 in Nagasaki versus $1,055 in Medellin. 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 $19.00 in Nagasaki versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $279 vs $295 – making Nagasaki the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Nagasaki
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
08:06 8:06 AM
18:06 6:06 PM
14 h behind Nagasaki
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
409,118
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nagasaki Medellin 14,910 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nagasaki
  • Medellin

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
Nagasaki vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Nagasaki?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 26%, 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 $1,915 per month in Nagasaki and $2,421 in Medellin. 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 Nagasaki, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Nagasaki or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Nagasaki and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Nagasaki and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,277 in Nagasaki and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 26%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Nagasaki or in Medellin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nagasaki, where all-in costs run around $1,277, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Nagasaki it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Nagasaki or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Nagasaki – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Nagasaki or Medellin?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Nagasaki. 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.

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