Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Honolulu, HI and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,708 in Honolulu, HI, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

178

Cost of Living Index in Honolulu, HI
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Honolulu, HI Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Honolulu, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,708

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,708 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $3,708
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $5,954 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $5,954
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $8,200 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $8,200
Medellin $3,186

Honolulu, HI costs about 126% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Honolulu, HI and Medellin sit above the global median – Honolulu, HI by 172%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.73 $27.73

$8.09 COP 26.1K

242.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$140 $140

$47.05 COP 151.9K

196.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.03 $15.03

$9.50 COP 30.7K

58.21%

Cappuccino

$10.28 $10.28

$3.01 COP 9,735

241.53%

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

$4.84 $4.84

$1.80 COP 5,809

168.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.41 COP 4,561

153.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.68 $10.68

$3.18 COP 10.3K

235.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.28 $11.28

$5.75 COP 18.6K

96.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.51 COP 4,876

44.37%

White Bread (500g)

$7.52 $7.52

$2.38 COP 7,678

215.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.17 $10.17

$1.77 COP 5,720

474.58%

Eggs

$8.69 $8.69

$2.89 COP 9,333

200.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.68 $27.68

$10.19 COP 32.9K

171.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.05 $20.05

$9.87 COP 31.9K

103.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.26 $21.26

$13.99 COP 45.2K

51.97%

Apples (1kg)

$7.99 $7.99

$3.97 COP 12.8K

101.26%

Banana (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$1.55 COP 5,012

231.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.77 $6.77

$2.18 COP 7,048

210.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.48 $9.48

$2.18 COP 7,051

334.86%

Potato (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$1.96 COP 6,337

145.41%

Onion (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$1.59 COP 5,132

207.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.15 $5.15

$1.15 COP 3,699

347.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.24 COP 4,014

156.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.91 $12.91

$3.96 COP 12.8K

226.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.31 $18.31

$13.68 COP 44.2K

33.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.66 COP 5,359

63.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 $5.81

$2.26 COP 7,291

157.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.17 COP 3,771

162.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.8 $90.8

$77.4 COP 249.8K

17.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.27 COP 4,094

169.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.05 COP 6,612

25.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.37 $45.37

$8.55 COP 27.6K

430.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.35 COP 4,349

6.67%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

6.17%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-24.69%

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

$259 $259

$170 COP 547.8K

52.51%

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

$66.4 $66.4

$13.55 COP 43.8K

390.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$28.07 COP 90.6K

135.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 $53.8

$43.70 COP 141.1K

23.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.55 $31.55

$17.19 COP 55.5K

83.54%

Cinema Ticket

$19.86 $19.86

$6.91 COP 22.3K

187.41%

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

$2,174 $2,174

$797 COP 2.6M

172.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.7K $26.7K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

192.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 $62.7

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-25.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.12 $47.12

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-18.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 $99.8

$135 COP 435.8K

-26.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$97.9 COP 316.0K

33.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 $2,529

$1,208 COP 3.9M

109.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,741 $1,741

$642 COP 2.1M

171.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,407 $4,407

$2,028 COP 6.5M

117.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,603 $3,603

$1,012 COP 3.3M

256.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,028 $9,028

$4,170 COP 13.5M

116.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,207 $7,207

$1,910 COP 6.2M

277.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,079 $4,079

$657 COP 2.1M

520.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

10.94

-38.76%

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

Last update for Honolulu, HI: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Honolulu, HI

$1.7K 47%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 63.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Honolulu, HI

$710 19.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 58.2% $413

Eating Out

Honolulu, HI

$500 13.5%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 66.1% $330

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honolulu, HI

$391 10.6%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 46% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Honolulu, HI

$153 4.1%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 10.5% $16

Getting Around

Honolulu, HI

$119 3.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 21.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Honolulu, HI

$94 2.5%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 38.5% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,529 in Honolulu, HI 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 Honolulu, HI are about 6.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $140 in Honolulu, HI versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $710 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Honolulu, HI

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

17:44 5:44 PM

22:44 10:44 PM

5 h ahead of Honolulu, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

350,964

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 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).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Honolulu, HI Medellin 8,950 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Honolulu, HI
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

Honolulu, HI vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Honolulu, HI costs about 126% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,562 per month in Honolulu, HI 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 Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $2,529 in Honolulu, HI.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,708 in Honolulu, HI and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 56% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Honolulu, HI at $3,708. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honolulu, HI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $3,708 in Honolulu, HI. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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