Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roatan and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Roatan: $1,228 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Roatan
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Roatan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Roatan

🇭🇳 Honduras

$1,228

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Roatan and in Medellin

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

A single person spends $1,228 per month in Roatan vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Roatan $1,228
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,000 per month in Roatan vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Roatan $2,000
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,773 per month in Roatan vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Roatan $2,773
Medellin $3,186

Roatan is about 25% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Roatan sits 10% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.18 HNL 220

$8.09 COP 25.4K

1.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.19 HNL 1,080

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-14.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.59 HNL 231

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-9.58%

Cappuccino

$4.28 HNL 115

$3.01 COP 9,485

42.19%

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

$0.95 HNL 25.49

$1.80 COP 5,660

-47.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 HNL 23.21

$1.41 COP 4,443

-39.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 HNL 67.6

$3.18 COP 9,990

-21.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 HNL 138

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-10.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 HNL 38.73

$1.51 COP 4,751

-4.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 HNL 84.8

$2.38 COP 7,480

32.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 HNL 66.2

$1.77 COP 5,573

38.98%

Eggs

$1.97 HNL 53.0

$2.89 COP 9,093

-31.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 HNL 300

$10.19 COP 32.1K

9.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 HNL 174

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-34.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.61 HNL 473

$13.99 COP 44.0K

25.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 HNL 30.10

$1.55 COP 4,883

-27.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 HNL 30.18

$2.18 COP 6,867

-48.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 HNL 14.04

$2.18 COP 6,870

-76.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 HNL 43.84

$1.96 COP 6,174

-16.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 HNL 40.10

$1.59 COP 5,000

-6.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 HNL 31.41

$1.15 COP 3,604

1.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 HNL 78.8

$1.24 COP 3,911

136.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 HNL 78.4

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-26.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 HNL 212

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-42.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 HNL 35.77

$1.66 COP 5,221

-19.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 HNL 69.5

$2.26 COP 7,103

14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 HNL 55.3

$1.27 COP 3,989

62.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.14 HNL 272

$8.55 COP 26.9K

18.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 HNL 27.63

$1.35 COP 4,237

-23.70%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

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

$29.5K HNL 793.4K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-14.82%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.6 HNL 2,675

$28.07 COP 88.3K

254.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 HNL 1,644

$43.70 COP 137.5K

40.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

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

$505 HNL 13.6K

$797 COP 2.5M

-36.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.37 HNL 1,084

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-52.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.93 HNL 535

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-65.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.69 HNL 1,066

$135 COP 424.6K

-70.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.2 HNL 1,349

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-48.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 HNL 22.5K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$553 HNL 14.9K

$642 COP 2.0M

-13.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 HNL 52.9K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-2.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 HNL 33.2K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

22.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,906 HNL 51.2K

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-54.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,323 HNL 35.5K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-30.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$497 HNL 13.3K

$657 COP 2.1M

-24.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

64.53%

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

Last update for Roatan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Roatan

$553 45.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 16% $88

Groceries & Markets

Roatan

$272 * 22.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 9.3% $25

Eating Out

Roatan

$173 14.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 1.8% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roatan

$100 * 8.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 112% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Roatan

$68 5.5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 150% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Roatan

$61 * 5%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 6% $3.7

Getting Around

Roatan

$2.1 * 0.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 4441% $91

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $838 in Roatan versus $1,208 in Medellin. 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 $40 in Roatan versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $297 – making Roatan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇳 Roatan

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:44 11:44 AM

12:44 12:44 PM

1 h ahead of Roatan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,425

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Honduran Lempira HNL L

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.34 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to HNL – Honduran Lempira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇳 Honduran Lempira (L)

Honduran Lempira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 26.87 HNL (100 HNL = 3.72 USD). 1 EUR = 29.91 HNL (100 HNL = 3.34 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to HNL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Roatan Medellin 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Roatan
Medellin

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

Roatan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,842 per month in Roatan and $2,459 in Medellin. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $838 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Roatan and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% 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 $1,228, than in Medellin at $1,639. 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.

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.