Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Niigata and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Niigata: $728 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Niigata
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Niigata Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Niigata

🇯🇵 Japan

$728

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $728 per month in Niigata vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Niigata $728
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,106 per month in Niigata vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Niigata $1,106
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,485 per month in Niigata vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Niigata $1,485
Medellin $3,186

Niigata is about 56% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Niigata sits 47% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.43 ¥1,013

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-20.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.74 ¥2,795

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-62.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 ¥791

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-47.16%

Cappuccino

$2.68 ¥422

$3.01 COP 9,722

-10.96%

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

$1.10 ¥174

$1.80 COP 5,801

-38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥123

$1.41 COP 4,554

-44.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ¥398

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-20.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ¥437

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-51.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥192

$1.51 COP 4,869

-19.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ¥152

$2.38 COP 7,667

-59.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ¥392

$1.77 COP 5,712

40.68%

Eggs

$2.26 ¥356

$2.89 COP 9,320

-21.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ¥1,167

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-27.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 ¥1,062

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-31.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.47 ¥2,595

$13.99 COP 45.1K

17.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 ¥506

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-19.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥206

$1.55 COP 5,005

-15.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 ¥402

$2.18 COP 7,039

16.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 ¥352

$2.18 COP 7,041

2.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 ¥306

$1.96 COP 6,328

-1.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ¥304

$1.59 COP 5,125

21.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ¥146

$1.15 COP 3,694

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥94.4

$1.24 COP 4,009

-51.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥606

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-3.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.31 ¥679

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-68.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥264

$1.66 COP 5,352

1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ¥293

$2.26 COP 7,281

-17.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ¥207

$1.17 COP 3,766

11.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 ¥415

$1.27 COP 4,089

107.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 ¥509

$2.05 COP 6,603

57.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.80 ¥2,962

$8.55 COP 27.6K

119.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥165

$1.35 COP 4,343

-22.22%

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

$19.3K ¥3.0M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-43.28%

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

$12.8K ¥2.0M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-62.94%

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

$147 ¥23.1K

$170 COP 547.0K

-13.65%

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

$23.08 ¥3,635

$13.55 COP 43.7K

70.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.23 ¥3,975

$28.07 COP 90.5K

-10.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 ¥8,094

$43.70 COP 140.9K

17.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.27 ¥988

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-63.53%

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 ¥1,937

$6.91 COP 22.3K

78.00%

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

$64.7 ¥10.2K

$797 COP 2.6M

-91.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K ¥2.9M

$9,112 COP 29.4M

101.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.68 ¥4,991

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-62.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.10 ¥5,214

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-42.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.84 ¥6,118

$135 COP 435.2K

-71.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.7 ¥10.2K

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-33.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 ¥55.2K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-70.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,272 ¥200.4K

$657 COP 2.1M

93.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.48

10.94

-86.47%

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

Last update for Niigata: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Niigata

$233 32%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 27.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Niigata

$195 26.8%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 8.4% $16

Eating Out

Niigata

$124 17.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 36.3% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Niigata

$76 10.4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 24.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Niigata

$76 10.4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 123% $93

Getting Around

Niigata

$24 * 3.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 289% $70

Accommodation & Living

Niigata

- * 0%

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $351 in Niigata 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 94% higher in Niigata, 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 $18 in Niigata versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $233 vs $297 – making Niigata the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Niigata

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:00 10:00 AM

20:00 8:00 PM

14 h behind Niigata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

811,639

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 2, 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 2, 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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Niigata Medellin 13,930 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Niigata
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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

Niigata vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 125%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,092 per month in Niigata 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 Niigata, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $351 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Niigata and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Niigata, where all-in costs run around $728, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Niigata it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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