Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Okinawa: $1,399 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,399

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,399 per month in Okinawa vs $1,589 in Medellin, rent included.

Okinawa $1,399
Medellin $1,589

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Okinawa vs $2,364 in Medellin, rent included.

Okinawa $2,189
Medellin $2,364

A family of three spends $2,979 per month in Okinawa vs $3,139 in Medellin, rent included.

Okinawa $2,979
Medellin $3,139

Okinawa is about 12% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Okinawa and Medellin sit above the global median – Okinawa by 4%, Medellin by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 ¥1,602

$8.01 COP 25.8K

26.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.78 ¥6,288

$46.55 COP 149.9K

-14.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ¥1,112

$9.43 COP 30.4K

-25.34%

Cappuccino

$4.26 ¥674

$2.91 COP 9,374

46.39%

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

$1.47 ¥233

$1.75 COP 5,643

-16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥158

$1.32 COP 4,263

-24.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 ¥318

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-35.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ¥719

$5.55 COP 17.9K

-18.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ¥258

$1.41 COP 4,542

16.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 ¥340

$2.44 COP 7,858

-11.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.84 ¥606

$1.63 COP 5,245

135.58%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥277

$2.82 COP 9,084

-37.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.94 ¥2,835

$9.69 COP 31.2K

85.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 ¥770

$9.32 COP 30.0K

-47.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.16 ¥3,503

$13.46 COP 43.3K

64.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 ¥572

$4.00 COP 12.9K

-9.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 ¥416

$1.48 COP 4,768

77.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 ¥338

$2.12 COP 6,839

0.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 ¥819

$2.25 COP 7,253

130.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 ¥380

$1.91 COP 6,155

26.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ¥407

$1.62 COP 5,214

59.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 ¥207

$1.15 COP 3,696

13.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥117

$1.26 COP 4,063

-41.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥630

$3.82 COP 12.3K

4.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 ¥1,015

$13.11 COP 42.2K

-51.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥295

$1.60 COP 5,136

16.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥504

$2.26 COP 7,263

41.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 ¥232

$1.17 COP 3,770

25.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 ¥10.6K

$75.0 COP 241.5K

-10.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 ¥627

$1.27 COP 4,098

212.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.56 ¥563

$2.05 COP 6,600

73.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.44 ¥1,808

$8.20 COP 26.4K

39.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥173

$1.27 COP 4,088

-14.17%

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

$21.3K ¥3.4M

$26.8K COP 86.2M

-20.64%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$34.4K COP 110.8M

-55.22%

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

$162 ¥25.6K

$162 COP 522.3K

-0.17%

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

$24.91 ¥3,938

$13.12 COP 42.3K

89.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 ¥8,503

$28.09 COP 90.5K

91.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.3 ¥11.3K

$44.33 COP 142.7K

60.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,679

$16.33 COP 52.6K

236.25%

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 ¥1,924

$6.09 COP 19.6K

99.84%

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

$329 ¥52.0K

$764 COP 2.5M

-56.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,538 ¥875.3K

$8,904 COP 28.7M

-37.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 ¥7,913

$85.0 COP 273.6K

-41.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.29 ¥3,681

$57.5 COP 185.1K

-59.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ¥12.5K

$132 COP 424.2K

-40.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 ¥14.9K

$95.8 COP 308.3K

-1.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 ¥63.9K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-60.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ¥51.9K

$604 COP 1.9M

-45.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 ¥130.5K

$1,802 COP 5.8M

-54.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 ¥104.8K

$993 COP 3.2M

-33.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,594 ¥1.4M

$3,921 COP 12.6M

119.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,206 ¥190.6K

$1,639 COP 5.3M

-26.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,849 ¥292.3K

$626 COP 2.0M

195.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

10.94

-79.62%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 5, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$328 23.8%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 12.2% $40

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$328 23.8%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 84.2% $276

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.4%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 15.5% $37

Eating Out

Okinawa

$182 13.2%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 8.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$111 8%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 50% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$96 6.9%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 40.9% $39

Getting Around

Okinawa

$95 6.9%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 3.8% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $404 in Okinawa versus $1,028 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 195% higher in Okinawa, 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 $40.00 in Okinawa versus $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $328 in Okinawa vs $288 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

16:35 4:35 PM

02:35 2:35 AM

14 h behind Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Between locations

Okinawa Medellin 15,580 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Okinawa
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

Okinawa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,098 per month in Okinawa and $2,384 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Okinawa, 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 $40.00 in Okinawa and $47.00 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 $1,399 in Okinawa and $1,589 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 14%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Okinawa, where all-in costs run around $1,399, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Okinawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Okinawa – 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 Okinawa. 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.