Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nara, Japan and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Nara: $1,233 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Nara
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Nara Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Nara

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,233

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nara 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 Nara and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,233 per month in Nara vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Nara $1,233
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,851 per month in Nara vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Nara $1,851
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,468 per month in Nara vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Nara $2,468
Medellin $3,186

Nara is about 25% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Nara sits 9% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.33 ¥996

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-21.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.27 ¥5,083

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-31.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥785

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-47.47%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ¥394

$3.01 COP 9,722

-16.94%

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

$1.26 ¥198

$1.80 COP 5,801

-30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥112

$1.41 COP 4,554

-49.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 ¥506

$3.18 COP 10.2K

0.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ¥488

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-46.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥247

$1.51 COP 4,869

3.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥205

$2.38 COP 7,667

-45.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 ¥649

$1.77 COP 5,712

132.77%

Eggs

$2.23 ¥352

$2.89 COP 9,320

-22.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.75 ¥1,537

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-4.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 ¥1,114

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-28.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.13 ¥2,855

$13.99 COP 45.1K

29.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ¥520

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-16.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 ¥304

$1.55 COP 5,005

24.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 ¥334

$2.18 COP 7,039

-2.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 ¥642

$2.18 COP 7,041

87.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 ¥236

$1.96 COP 6,328

-23.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ¥179

$1.59 COP 5,125

-28.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ¥179

$1.15 COP 3,694

-1.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥138

$1.24 COP 4,009

-29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥612

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 ¥1,502

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-30.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥295

$1.66 COP 5,352

12.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥339

$2.26 COP 7,281

-4.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥233

$1.17 COP 3,766

26.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 ¥11.7K

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-3.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥497

$1.27 COP 4,089

148.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.92 ¥461

$2.05 COP 6,603

42.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.66 ¥2,467

$8.55 COP 27.6K

83.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ¥169

$1.35 COP 4,343

-20.00%

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

$21.8K ¥3.4M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-36.12%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-55.82%

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

$118 ¥18.6K

$170 COP 547.0K

-30.50%

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

$24.81 ¥3,909

$13.55 COP 43.7K

83.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 ¥4,843

$28.07 COP 90.5K

9.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.2 ¥13.1K

$43.70 COP 140.9K

90.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.58 ¥1,195

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-55.90%

Cinema Ticket

$12.57 ¥1,980

$6.91 COP 22.3K

81.91%

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

$693 ¥109.1K

$797 COP 2.6M

-13.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K ¥2.1M

$9,112 COP 29.4M

45.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.11 ¥7,420

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-44.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.96 ¥4,877

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-46.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.8 ¥9,728

$135 COP 435.2K

-54.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 ¥14.2K

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-8.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥64.8K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-65.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 ¥53.5K

$642 COP 2.1M

-47.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 ¥131.1K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-58.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$547 ¥86.1K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-45.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 ¥420.7K

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-35.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,040 ¥321.3K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

6.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,123 ¥176.8K

$657 COP 2.1M

70.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

10.94

-81.54%

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

Last update for Nara: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nara

$340 27.6%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 88.7% $302

Groceries & Markets

Nara

$285 23.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 4.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nara

$173 14.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 21.8% $38

Eating Out

Nara

$126 10.2%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 34.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Nara

$108 8.8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 46.9% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Nara

$103 8.4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 63.5% $66

Getting Around

Nara

$98 8%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 4.6% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Nara versus $1,208 in Medellin. 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 71% higher in Nara, 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 $32 in Nara versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $297 – making Nara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Nara

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

09:56 9:56 AM

14 h behind Nara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

355,280

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Between locations

Nara Medellin 14,390 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nara
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

Nara vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,850 per month in Nara and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Nara and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,233 in Nara and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Nara about 25% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nara, where all-in costs run around $1,233, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Nara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Nara is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 25% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.