Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fiji Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fiji

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $713 in Fiji.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,157 in Fiji.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,602 in Fiji.

Living in Medellin is roughly 136% more expensive than in Fiji, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Fiji is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$4.43 FJD 9.85

81.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$33.29 FJD 74.0

43.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$6.52 FJD 14.49

51.69%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.51 FJD 5.58

24.70%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.43 FJD 3.17

33.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$1.01 FJD 2.24

49.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$3.94 FJD 8.76

-20.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.07 FJD 9.04

41.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.23 FJD 2.73

17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$0.24 FJD 0.53

937.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$0.92 FJD 2.05

92.39%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$3.19 FJD 7.10

-7.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$10.75 FJD 23.89

-6.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$5.56 FJD 12.35

82.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.36 FJD 3.03

204.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$0.92 FJD 2.04

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.85 FJD 4.12

21.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.34 FJD 2.97

67.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.70 FJD 1.55

191.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.70 FJD 1.57

120.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.87 FJD 1.94

34.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.51 FJD 1.14

156.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$11.20 FJD 24.88

-65.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$6.44 FJD 14.31

117.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$3.95 FJD 8.77

-55.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$4.15 FJD 9.23

-30.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.87 FJD 1.93

40.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.11 FJD 2.46

18.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.29 FJD 2.87

6.20%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$46.3K FJD 102.9K

-39.87%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$53.2 FJD 118

233.02%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$13.56 FJD 30.13

2.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$18.32 FJD 40.70

62.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$22.53 FJD 50.1

99.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$4.62 FJD 10.28

270.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$4.00 FJD 8.88

66.25%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$45.77 FJD 102

1676.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$19.87 FJD 44.14

350.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$29.93 FJD 66.5

361.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$688 FJD 1,528

54.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$273 FJD 606

143.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,132 FJD 2,515

66.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$616 FJD 1,370

66.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,306 FJD 2,901

220.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,315 FJD 2,921

27.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$546 FJD 1,213

24.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

82.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Fiji: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $688 in Fiji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $33.00 in Fiji for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $172 per month, with Fiji cheaper across the board.

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

Medellin vs Fiji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fiji is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 136% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $688 in Fiji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $713 in Fiji – a 136% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $713 in Fiji versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fiji but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Fiji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fiji is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Fiji are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Fiji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.