Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Pedro Sula

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pedro Sula: $1,211 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
58

Cost of Living Index in San Pedro Sula
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San Pedro Sula Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

San Pedro Sula

🇭🇳 Honduras

$1,211

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in San Pedro Sula

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 San Pedro Sula actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,211 in San Pedro Sula, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
San Pedro Sula $1,211

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,818 in San Pedro Sula, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
San Pedro Sula $1,818

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,425 in San Pedro Sula, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
San Pedro Sula $2,425

Medellin costs about 35% more than San Pedro Sula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while San Pedro Sula is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$7.56 HNL 203

7.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$33.39 HNL 897

40.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$9.23 HNL 248

2.93%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.40 HNL 64.5

25.42%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.02 HNL 27.32

76.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.78 HNL 20.89

80.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$1.81 HNL 48.67

75.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.54 HNL 95.0

62.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.47 HNL 39.52

2.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.94 HNL 52.1

22.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.62 HNL 43.41

9.26%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.30 HNL 61.8

25.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$8.92 HNL 240

14.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$6.83 HNL 184

44.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$9.55 HNL 256

46.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.52 HNL 94.5

12.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.22 HNL 32.78

27.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$3.31 HNL 89.0

-34.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.68 HNL 45.17

29.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$2.50 HNL 67.2

-21.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.40 HNL 64.4

-33.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.49 HNL 39.93

-22.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.61 HNL 43.16

-22.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.90 HNL 78.0

36.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$12.91 HNL 347

5.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$0.84 HNL 22.56

97.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.39 HNL 37.41

62.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.65 HNL 17.38

80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$36.23 HNL 974

113.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$2.75 HNL 73.9

-53.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.90 HNL 51.2

7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$11.02 HNL 296

-22.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.00 HNL 26.87

35.00%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$23.6K HNL 635.2K

44.09%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$25.0K HNL 672.6K

38.50%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$130 HNL 3,498

30.29%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$10.90 HNL 293

24.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$43.26 HNL 1,162

-35.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$37.63 HNL 1,011

16.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$14.08 HNL 378

22.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$5.59 HNL 150

23.61%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$151 HNL 4,058

427.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$3,135 HNL 84.2K

190.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$73.1 HNL 1,965

15.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$39.97 HNL 1,074

45.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$79.3 HNL 2,130

70.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$73.7 HNL 1,979

32.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$557 HNL 15.0K

116.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$410 HNL 11.0K

56.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$804 HNL 21.6K

152.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$715 HNL 19.2K

41.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$986 HNL 26.5K

322.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$424 HNL 11.4K

351.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$603 HNL 16.2K

9.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

12.33

-11.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for San Pedro Sula: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

San Pedro Sula

$410 33.9% 36.1% $232

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

San Pedro Sula

$256 21.2% 13.7% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

San Pedro Sula

$184 15.2% 12.7% $27

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

San Pedro Sula

$140 11.6% 17.3% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

San Pedro Sula

$120 9.9% 29.1% $49

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

San Pedro Sula

$51 4.2% 45.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

San Pedro Sula

$49 4% 15.2% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $557 in San Pedro Sula. 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 9% 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 $47 in Medellin versus $33 in San Pedro Sula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $256 – making San Pedro Sula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇭🇳 San Pedro Sula

🕒 Local time

22:10 10:10 PM

21:10 9:10 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

719,064

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Honduran Lempira HNL L

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HNL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Honduran Lempira exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 26.87 HNL (100 HNL = 3.72 USD). 1 EUR = 29.91 HNL (100 HNL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin San Pedro Sula 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
San Pedro Sula

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 San Pedro Sula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,816 in San Pedro Sula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Pedro Sula, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $557 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $33 in San Pedro Sula. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,211 in San Pedro Sula. That makes San Pedro Sula about 26% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,211 in San Pedro Sula, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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