Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Roatan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Roatan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,240 in Roatan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,030 in Roatan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,820 in Roatan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 32% more than Roatan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Roatan is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$7.91 HNL 212

1.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$40.62 HNL 1,091

18.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$8.73 HNL 234

7.90%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$4.44 HNL 119

-33.78%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.01 HNL 27.04

84.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.86 HNL 23.22

69.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.51 HNL 67.5

27.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$5.11 HNL 137

11.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.44 HNL 38.68

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$3.22 HNL 86.6

-25.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.54 HNL 68.3

-33.07%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.04 HNL 54.7

41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.03 HNL 296

-8.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.44 HNL 173

54.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$17.46 HNL 469

-18.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.08 HNL 29.12

46.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.09 HNL 29.14

97.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.56 HNL 15.05

310.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.64 HNL 44.10

21.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.48 HNL 39.86

2.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.17 HNL 31.45

2.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$2.93 HNL 78.8

-56.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.91 HNL 78.2

31.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.83 HNL 210

78.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.33 HNL 35.78

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.61 HNL 70.1

4.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.05 HNL 55.0

-36.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$10.12 HNL 272

-18.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.07 HNL 28.85

27.10%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$29.6K HNL 796.0K

23.26%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$98.5 HNL 2,644

-71.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$58.9 HNL 1,580

-22.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$499 HNL 13.4K

60.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$39.90 HNL 1,072

118.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$19.67 HNL 528

201.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$40.79 HNL 1,095

240.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$49.65 HNL 1,333

105.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$848 HNL 22.8K

26.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$552 HNL 14.8K

18.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,990 HNL 53.4K

-3.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,229 HNL 33.0K

-14.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,907 HNL 51.2K

116.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,338 HNL 35.9K

26.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$495 HNL 13.3K

32.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-39.22%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Roatan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $848 in Roatan. 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 32% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $41.00 in Roatan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $272 – making Roatan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Roatan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 32%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,859 in Roatan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Roatan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $41.00 in Roatan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Roatan, where all-in costs run around $1,240, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Roatan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Roatan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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