Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Honiara

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,719 in Honiara, rent and utilities included – about $960 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Honiara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Honiara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,719 in Honiara, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Honiara $1,719

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,828 in Honiara, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Honiara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,936 in Honiara, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Honiara $3,936

Medellin is about 5% cheaper than Honiara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Medellin and Honiara sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Honiara by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$6.79 SBD 54.7

19.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$61.7 SBD 497

-23.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$12.30 SBD 99.1

-22.76%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.48 SBD 28.00

-13.51%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.56 SBD 12.58

15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.10 SBD 8.83

28.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.53 SBD 20.40

25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$5.55 SBD 44.74

3.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$2.52 SBD 20.34

-40.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.54 SBD 12.37

54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.59 SBD 12.78

11.32%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$5.66 SBD 45.57

-48.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$6.42 SBD 51.7

58.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$8.36 SBD 67.4

18.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$15.30 SBD 123

-8.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$6.21 SBD 50.0

-36.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$2.69 SBD 21.70

-42.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$8.72 SBD 70.2

-75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$3.65 SBD 29.36

-40.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.95 SBD 15.70

0.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$3.43 SBD 27.60

-53.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.44 SBD 11.57

-20.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.08 SBD 8.68

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.03 SBD 32.47

-1.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$10.41 SBD 83.8

31.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.72 SBD 13.84

-3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$3.37 SBD 27.18

-32.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.35 SBD 2.85

234.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$25.21 SBD 203

206.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.22 SBD 9.79

4.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.22 SBD 9.79

68.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$12.28 SBD 99.0

-30.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.33 SBD 10.72

1.50%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$18.5K SBD 149.3K

83.83%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$34.2K SBD 275.3K

1.44%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$437 SBD 3,517

-61.14%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$26.84 SBD 216

-49.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$88.8 SBD 715

-68.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$36.66 SBD 295

19.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$9.06 SBD 73.0

89.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.29 SBD 34.58

61.07%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$98.9 SBD 796

705.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$2,868 SBD 23.1K

217.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$27.51 SBD 222

207.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$93.1 SBD 750

-37.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$99.0 SBD 798

36.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$101 SBD 817

-3.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$890 SBD 7,169

35.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$432 SBD 3,479

48.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,812 SBD 14.6K

11.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,409 SBD 11.3K

-28.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$85.8K SBD 691.2K

-95.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$62.0K SBD 499.2K

-96.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$437 SBD 3,519

50.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

15.67

-30.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Honiara: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Honiara

$432 25.1% 32.7% $210

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Honiara

$344 20% 16% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Honiara

$552 32.1% 161% $341

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Honiara

$167 9.7% 1.4% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Honiara

$144 8.4% 14.5% $25

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Honiara

$34 2% 63.7% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Honiara

$45 2.6% 21.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $890 in Honiara. 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 50% higher in Medellin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $62 in Honiara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $344 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇧 Honiara

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

16:01 4:01 PM

16 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

54,600 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.111 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SBD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

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).

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 8.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 8.99 SBD (1 SBD = 0.111 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Honiara 13,890 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Honiara

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

Medellin vs Honiara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $1,719 in Honiara – Medellin comes out roughly 5% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,579 in Honiara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Honiara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $890 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Honiara, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $62 in Honiara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,719 in Honiara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,719 in Honiara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.