Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lihue, HI and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,194 in Lihue, HI, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Lihue, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,194

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,194 in Lihue, HI versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Lihue, HI $3,194
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,556 in Lihue, HI versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Lihue, HI $5,556
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,919 in Lihue, HI versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Lihue, HI $7,919
Medellin $3,186

Living in Lihue, HI is roughly 95% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lihue, HI 135% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$8.09 COP 25.4K

212.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 $111

$47.05 COP 148.0K

134.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.03 $13.03

$9.50 COP 29.9K

37.16%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$3.01 COP 9,485

117.61%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.80 COP 5,660

112.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.41 COP 4,443

74.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$3.18 COP 9,990

116.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$5.75 COP 18.1K

37.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.51 COP 4,751

24.50%

White Bread (500g)

$6.56 $6.56

$2.38 COP 7,480

175.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.77 COP 5,573

58.76%

Eggs

$10.19 $10.19

$2.89 COP 9,093

252.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.42 $15.42

$10.19 COP 32.1K

51.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 $15.17

$9.87 COP 31.1K

53.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.13 $20.13

$13.99 COP 44.0K

43.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.97 COP 12.5K

20.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.55 COP 4,883

114.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.59 $8.59

$2.18 COP 6,867

294.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$2.18 COP 6,870

364.68%

Potato (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$1.96 COP 6,174

157.65%

Onion (1kg)

$6.33 $6.33

$1.59 COP 5,000

298.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$3.96 COP 12.5K

207.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$13.68 COP 43.0K

15.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.66 COP 5,221

2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.26 COP 7,103

-25.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.17 COP 3,674

68.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 $52.9

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-31.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 $7.88

$1.27 COP 3,989

520.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.05 COP 6,442

-7.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.25 $15.25

$8.55 COP 26.9K

78.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.35 COP 4,237

-3.70%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

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

$170 COP 533.7K

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

$30.21 $30.21

$13.55 COP 42.6K

122.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 $60.6

$28.07 COP 88.3K

115.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.9 $91.9

$43.70 COP 137.5K

110.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 $9.01

$6.91 COP 21.7K

30.39%

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

$1,200 $1,200

$797 COP 2.5M

50.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

78.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 $2,353

$1,208 COP 3.8M

94.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 $2,000

$642 COP 2.0M

211.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,245 $5,245

$2,028 COP 6.4M

158.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,812 $4,812

$1,012 COP 3.2M

375.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,987 $1,987

$657 COP 2.1M

202.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

10.94

-38.85%

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

Last update for Lihue, HI: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lihue, HI

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Lihue, HI

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lihue, HI

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Lihue, HI

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Lihue, HI

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Lihue, HI

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Lihue, HI

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,353 in Lihue, HI and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lihue, HI pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $111 in Lihue, HI vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $519 vs $297 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lihue, HI

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:13 4:13 AM

09:13 9:13 AM

5 h ahead of Lihue, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lihue, HI Medellin 9,110 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lihue, 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

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Lihue, HI. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Lihue, HI is about 3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,353 in Lihue, HI versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,194 per month in Lihue, HI versus $1,639 in Medellin – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lihue, HI runs roughly 32% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $1,639 in Medellin versus $3,194 in Lihue, HI, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lihue, HI. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Lihue, HI on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.