Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Pedro Sula Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Pedro Sula

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,201 in San Pedro Sula, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,802 in San Pedro Sula, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,402 in San Pedro Sula, rent included.

Medellin costs about 37% more than San Pedro Sula, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while San Pedro Sula is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$7.35 HNL 197

9.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$33.24 HNL 892

45.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.39 HNL 252

0.32%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.37 HNL 63.5

24.05%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.06 HNL 28.54

75.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.78 HNL 20.84

87.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.81 HNL 48.61

77.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.61 HNL 97.0

58.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.51 HNL 40.67

-4.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.94 HNL 52.1

23.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.56 HNL 41.86

8.97%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.33 HNL 62.6

24.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$8.88 HNL 238

13.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.71 HNL 180

48.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$9.53 HNL 256

49.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.64 HNL 97.7

9.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.26 HNL 33.93

25.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$3.35 HNL 90.0

-35.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.67 HNL 44.74

37.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.42 HNL 65.0

-17.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.40 HNL 64.3

-37.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.41 HNL 37.89

-14.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.60 HNL 42.94

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.01 HNL 80.9

27.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$12.80 HNL 344

9.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.79 HNL 21.28

116.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.36 HNL 36.53

101.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.64 HNL 17.32

95.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$35.14 HNL 943

121.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.86 HNL 76.8

-54.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.85 HNL 49.63

17.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$11.28 HNL 303

-26.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.92 HNL 24.76

47.83%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$23.7K HNL 635.6K

16.07%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$24.9K HNL 668.7K

46.72%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$127 HNL 3,402

33.16%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$11.19 HNL 301

21.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$43.44 HNL 1,167

-34.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$37.27 HNL 1,001

22.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$14.10 HNL 379

22.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$5.68 HNL 153

17.08%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$147 HNL 3,953

445.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$3,184 HNL 85.5K

188.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$75.2 HNL 2,019

16.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$40.26 HNL 1,081

47.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$79.7 HNL 2,139

74.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$74.9 HNL 2,010

36.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$556 HNL 14.9K

92.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$426 HNL 11.4K

53.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$791 HNL 21.2K

143.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$729 HNL 19.6K

43.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$989 HNL 26.5K

317.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$440 HNL 11.8K

285.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$600 HNL 16.1K

9.21%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for San Pedro Sula: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $556 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $33.00 in San Pedro Sula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $256 – making San Pedro Sula 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 San Pedro Sula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 37%, 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 $1,802 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. 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 $33.00 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 $1,641 in Medellin and $1,201 in San Pedro Sula. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in San Pedro Sula, where all-in costs run around $1,201, than in Medellin at $1,641. In San Pedro Sula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.