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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $712 in Fiji.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,191 in Fiji.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,670 in Fiji.

Living in Medellin is roughly 42% more expensive than Fiji, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Fiji 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$4.44 FJD 9.73

34.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$45.29 FJD 99.3

-27.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$7.81 FJD 17.12

-9.22%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.26 FJD 4.96

-24.34%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.36 FJD 2.97

-19.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$1.19 FJD 2.61

-34.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.95 FJD 6.47

-43.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.30 FJD 7.23

-6.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.28 FJD 2.81

-14.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.69 FJD 1.52

82.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.52 FJD 3.34

-9.21%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.22 FJD 4.87

-1.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$10.61 FJD 23.26

-58.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.67 FJD 8.05

53.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$2.28 FJD 4.99

289.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.76 FJD 3.86

32.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.53 FJD 3.37

-30.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$2.04 FJD 4.48

-26.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.73 FJD 3.80

-20.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.49 FJD 3.26

-22.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.42 FJD 3.12

-18.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.94 FJD 2.06

-5.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.80 FJD 1.76

5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$11.01 FJD 24.14

-79.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$6.47 FJD 14.19

64.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$2.80 FJD 6.13

-57.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.46 FJD 5.41

0.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.91 FJD 1.99

-5.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.10 FJD 2.41

33.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.31 FJD 2.88

-27.48%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$45.5K FJD 99.7K

-60.12%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$53.0 FJD 116

55.10%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$13.41 FJD 29.41

-29.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$17.60 FJD 38.59

37.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$21.99 FJD 48.23

17.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$4.50 FJD 9.87

322.22%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$3.99 FJD 8.76

-1.50%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$44.29 FJD 97.1

598.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$8.39 FJD 18.41

599.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$29.43 FJD 64.6

248.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$666 FJD 1,461

-28.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$269 FJD 591

40.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,104 FJD 2,421

-24.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$607 FJD 1,331

19.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,298 FJD 2,846

115.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,344 FJD 2,947

-9.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$548 FJD 1,203

-6.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

123.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Fiji: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $666 in Fiji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fiji pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $45.00 in Fiji. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $179, with Fiji cheaper for home cooking.

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, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Fiji earns 7% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $666 in Fiji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $712 in Fiji – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $712 in Fiji versus $1,013 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 42% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.