Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wakayama and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Wakayama: $1,276 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Wakayama
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Wakayama Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Wakayama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,276

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,276 per month in Wakayama vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Wakayama $1,276
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $2,031 per month in Wakayama vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Wakayama $2,031
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $2,785 per month in Wakayama vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Wakayama $2,785
Medellin $3,199

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

Wakayama sits 6% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 ¥1,022

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-22.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.22 ¥4,932

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-33.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥773

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-47.08%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ¥389

$3.05 COP 9,676

-19.34%

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

$1.25 ¥197

$1.80 COP 5,707

-30.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥136

$1.38 COP 4,382

-37.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ¥506

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ¥293

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-66.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥248

$1.50 COP 4,760

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 ¥242

$2.37 COP 7,508

-35.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 ¥675

$1.70 COP 5,377

151.18%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥334

$2.96 COP 9,379

-28.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ¥2,534

$10.22 COP 32.4K

56.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.05 ¥1,114

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-27.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.10 ¥2,701

$13.90 COP 44.1K

23.02%

Apples (1kg)

$8.20 ¥1,296

$4.13 COP 13.1K

98.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 ¥478

$1.53 COP 4,839

97.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 ¥814

$2.22 COP 7,052

131.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.94 ¥1,255

$2.27 COP 7,194

249.78%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ¥633

$1.99 COP 6,311

101.51%

Onion (1kg)

$4.59 ¥726

$1.67 COP 5,285

174.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ¥179

$1.18 COP 3,742

-3.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$1.24 COP 3,919

-29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥630

$3.87 COP 12.3K

3.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.33 ¥1,475

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-32.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 ¥393

$1.66 COP 5,256

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥340

$2.40 COP 7,615

-10.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥236

$1.24 COP 3,944

20.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ¥8,496

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-31.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ¥485

$1.28 COP 4,044

139.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.91 ¥460

$2.15 COP 6,803

35.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.69 ¥2,478

$8.37 COP 26.5K

87.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.35 COP 4,288

-21.48%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-36.77%

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

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-56.64%

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

$117 ¥18.4K

$167 COP 528.4K

-29.95%

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

$23.45 ¥3,705

$13.62 COP 43.2K

72.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.45 ¥4,968

$29.12 COP 92.3K

8.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 ¥8,109

$45.09 COP 143.0K

13.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 ¥1,771

$6.97 COP 22.1K

60.83%

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

$564 ¥89.1K

$790 COP 2.5M

-28.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥2.3M

$9,041 COP 28.7M

64.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ¥7,800

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-43.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.42 ¥5,596

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-39.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 ¥9,385

$139 COP 440.7K

-57.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 ¥15.6K

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-0.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ¥83.1K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-48.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ¥53.3K

$620 COP 2.0M

-45.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 ¥172.7K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-41.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ¥116.5K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-26.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,206 ¥664.5K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

5.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,756 ¥277.4K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

3.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,965 ¥626.4K

$663 COP 2.1M

497.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

10.94

-84.73%

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

Last update for Wakayama: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Wakayama

$382 30%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 22.1% $84

Accommodation & Living

Wakayama

$337 26.4%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 83.7% $282

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wakayama

$172 13.5%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 22% $38

Eating Out

Wakayama

$124 9.7%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 37.6% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Wakayama

$109 8.6%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 58% $63

Getting Around

Wakayama

$77 6.1%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 23% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Wakayama

$74 5.8%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 20% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Wakayama 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 498% higher in Wakayama, 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 $31.00 in Wakayama versus $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Wakayama vs $298 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Wakayama

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:54 9:54 AM

19:54 7:54 PM

14 h behind Wakayama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

362,163

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Wakayama Medellin 14,470 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Wakayama
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

Wakayama vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,914 per month in Wakayama and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wakayama, 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 $31.00 in Wakayama 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 $1,276 in Wakayama and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 27%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Wakayama, where all-in costs run around $1,276, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Wakayama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Wakayama. 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.