Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okayama and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Okayama: $979 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Okayama, Japan
Medellin, Colombia
Okayama
🇯🇵 Japan
$979
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $979 per month in Okayama vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Okayama $979
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,575 per month in Okayama vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Okayama $1,575
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,171 per month in Okayama vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Okayama $2,171
  • Medellin $3,186

Okayama is about 40% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Okayama sits 28% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Okayama
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.97 ¥942
$8.09 COP 26.1K
-26.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.17 ¥3,969
$47.05 COP 151.9K
-46.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.04 ¥795
$9.50 COP 30.7K
-46.95%
Cappuccino
$1.74 ¥274
$3.01 COP 9,735
-42.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 ¥109
$1.80 COP 5,809
-61.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 ¥109
$1.41 COP 4,561
-51.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.94 ¥305
$3.18 COP 10.3K
-38.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 ¥305
$5.75 COP 18.6K
-66.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Okayama
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 ¥215
$1.51 COP 4,876
-9.93%
White Bread (500g)
$0.62 ¥97.5
$2.38 COP 7,678
-73.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.09 ¥645
$1.77 COP 5,720
131.07%
Eggs
$1.55 ¥244
$2.89 COP 9,333
-46.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.16 ¥2,390
$10.19 COP 32.9K
48.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.43 ¥1,013
$9.87 COP 31.9K
-34.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.03 ¥2,686
$13.99 COP 45.2K
21.73%
Apples (1kg)
$5.05 ¥796
$3.97 COP 12.8K
27.20%
Banana (1kg)
$3.10 ¥489
$1.55 COP 5,012
100.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.02 ¥791
$2.18 COP 7,048
130.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.38 ¥690
$2.18 COP 7,051
100.92%
Potato (1kg)
$2.17 ¥342
$1.96 COP 6,337
10.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.93 ¥304
$1.59 COP 5,132
21.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 ¥186
$1.15 COP 3,699
2.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 ¥105
$1.24 COP 4,014
-45.97%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.77 ¥595
$3.96 COP 12.8K
-4.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.29 ¥1,465
$13.68 COP 44.2K
-32.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 ¥297
$1.66 COP 5,359
13.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 ¥293
$2.26 COP 7,291
-17.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Okayama
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.42 ¥224
$1.17 COP 3,771
21.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$57.3 ¥9,036
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-25.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 ¥504
$1.27 COP 4,094
151.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.60 ¥409
$2.05 COP 6,612
26.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.53 ¥3,394
$8.55 COP 27.6K
151.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.00 ¥158
$1.35 COP 4,349
-25.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.9K ¥3.5M
$34.1K COP 110.0M
-35.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.4K ¥2.4M
$34.7K COP 111.9M
-55.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okayama
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$71.5 ¥11.3K
$170 COP 547.8K
-57.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.73 ¥2,165
$13.55 COP 43.8K
1.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.75 ¥4,060
$28.07 COP 90.6K
-8.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Okayama
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ¥8,234
$43.70 COP 141.1K
19.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.29 ¥1,781
$6.91 COP 22.3K
63.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Okayama
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$708 ¥111.6K
$797 COP 2.6M
-11.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.5K ¥2.3M
$9,112 COP 29.4M
59.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Okayama
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.2 ¥7,918
$84.7 COP 273.5K
-40.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.57 ¥5,609
$58.0 COP 187.2K
-38.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.0 ¥9,620
$135 COP 435.8K
-54.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.0 ¥15.3K
$97.9 COP 316.0K
-0.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Okayama
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$332 ¥52.3K
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-72.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$190 ¥29.9K
$642 COP 2.1M
-70.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$641 ¥101.0K
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-68.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$430 ¥67.8K
$1,012 COP 3.3M
-57.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,651 ¥575.7K
$4,170 COP 13.5M
-12.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,539 ¥400.3K
$1,910 COP 6.2M
32.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Okayama
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,366 ¥215.4K
$657 COP 2.1M
107.86%
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 Okayama: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Okayama
$312
Medellin
$297 4.7% $15
Accommodation & Living
Okayama
$190
Medellin
$642 238% $452
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okayama
$111
Medellin
$211 90.3% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Okayama
$110
Medellin
$169 54% $59
Eating Out
Okayama
$103
Medellin
$170 64.9% $67
Getting Around
Okayama
$79
Medellin
$94 18.2% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Okayama
$75
Medellin
$58 23.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $332 in Okayama 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 in Okayama are about 2.1 times higher, 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 $25 in Okayama versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $312 in Okayama vs $297 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Okayama
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
15:51 3:51 PM
01:51 1:51 AM
14 h behind Okayama
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
719,474
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Okayama Medellin 14,510 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Okayama
  • 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
Okayama vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Okayama cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,469 per month in Okayama and $2,459 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 Okayama, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $332 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Okayama or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Okayama and $47 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 Okayama and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $979 in Okayama and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Okayama about 40% cheaper.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Okayama or in Medellin?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Okayama, where all-in costs run around $979, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Okayama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Okayama or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Okayama – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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