Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,120 per month in Honiara vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,756 per month in Honiara vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,393 per month in Honiara vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Honiara costs about 106% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Honiara sits 59% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.87 SBD 47.33

$6.16 COP 20.1K

-4.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.8 SBD 418

$32.60 COP 106.1K

58.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 SBD 96.0

$7.34 COP 23.9K

62.13%

Cappuccino

$3.10 SBD 25.01

$1.72 COP 5,600

80.23%

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

$1.38 SBD 11.15

$1.05 COP 3,420

31.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 SBD 8.32

$0.77 COP 2,515

33.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SBD 14.86

$1.69 COP 5,488

8.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 SBD 29.50

$3.17 COP 10.3K

15.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 SBD 21.30

$1.05 COP 3,423

151.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 SBD 11.88

$1.30 COP 4,236

13.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 SBD 12.58

$1.40 COP 4,544

11.43%

Eggs

$5.29 SBD 42.72

$2.16 COP 7,047

144.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.95 SBD 31.90

$4.39 COP 14.3K

-10.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 SBD 67.3

$5.88 COP 19.1K

41.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.79 SBD 119

$8.64 COP 28.1K

71.18%

Apples (1kg)

$7.59 SBD 61.3

$2.28 COP 7,426

232.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 SBD 21.17

$1.11 COP 3,604

136.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.53 SBD 60.8

$1.53 COP 4,983

392.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 SBD 26.97

$1.35 COP 4,410

147.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 SBD 16.19

$1.13 COP 3,674

77.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 SBD 26.35

$1.13 COP 3,692

189.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 SBD 10.77

$0.85 COP 2,753

56.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 SBD 8.97

$0.91 COP 2,975

21.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 SBD 31.36

$2.34 COP 7,630

66.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 SBD 83.6

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-16.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 SBD 14.59

$1.20 COP 3,909

50.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 SBD 25.81

$2.49 COP 8,104

28.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 SBD 4.01

$0.84 COP 2,728

-40.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.80 SBD 192

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-41.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 SBD 9.92

$1.42 COP 4,623

-13.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 SBD 9.42

$1.92 COP 6,235

-39.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 SBD 95.9

$7.66 COP 24.9K

55.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 SBD 10.49

$0.99 COP 3,223

31.31%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

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

$705 SBD 5,688

$80.8 COP 263.1K

772.33%

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

$26.04 SBD 210

$9.95 COP 32.4K

161.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.2 SBD 696

$24.18 COP 78.7K

256.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.16 SBD 49.67

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-67.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.23 SBD 26.09

$3.98 COP 13.0K

-18.84%

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

$95.3 SBD 769

$305 COP 993.5K

-68.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,775 SBD 22.4K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-54.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.99 SBD 161

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-65.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.1 SBD 719

$32.20 COP 104.8K

176.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 SBD 619

$101 COP 327.9K

-23.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 SBD 618

$108 COP 350.8K

-28.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 SBD 4,290

$477 COP 1.6M

11.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 SBD 5,056

$376 COP 1.2M

66.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 SBD 9,822

$845 COP 2.7M

44.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$843 SBD 6,803

$730 COP 2.4M

15.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$87.3K SBD 704.2K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

2614.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$61.9K SBD 499.1K

$1,372 COP 4.5M

4407.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$692 SBD 5,584

$617 COP 2.0M

12.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

13.43

16.68%

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

Last update for Honiara: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $532 in Honiara versus $477 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 12% higher in Honiara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Honiara versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $193 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Honiara vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,120 in Honiara, $1,031 in Medellin – roughly 106% apart. Honiara costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,180 per month in Honiara and $1,546 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 73% more in Honiara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Honiara and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,031, than in Honiara at $2,120. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honiara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,031 in Medellin to $2,120 in Honiara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Honiara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.