Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $946 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suva 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 Suva and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $946 per month in Suva vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Suva $946
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,717 per month in Suva vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Suva $1,717
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,489 per month in Suva vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Suva $2,489
Medellin $3,190

Suva is about 41% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Suva sits 30% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 FJD 13.28

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-25.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.78 FJD 100

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-2.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 FJD 16.81

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-20.95%

Cappuccino

$2.85 FJD 6.37

$3.11 COP 9,866

-8.36%

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

$1.50 FJD 3.36

$1.83 COP 5,800

-18.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 FJD 1.67

$1.38 COP 4,360

-45.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 FJD 7.98

$3.05 COP 9,672

16.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 FJD 10.24

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-16.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 FJD 2.97

$1.45 COP 4,600

-8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 FJD 1.28

$2.36 COP 7,496

-75.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 FJD 2.53

$1.68 COP 5,328

-32.74%

Eggs

$3.38 FJD 7.57

$2.86 COP 9,077

18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 FJD 22.78

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 FJD 14.19

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-33.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.96 FJD 17.82

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-43.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 FJD 5.58

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-38.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 FJD 5.43

$1.50 COP 4,742

62.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 FJD 7.94

$2.17 COP 6,891

63.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 FJD 7.11

$2.31 COP 7,310

37.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 FJD 2.83

$1.93 COP 6,113

-34.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 FJD 2.37

$1.64 COP 5,196

-35.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 FJD 2.61

$1.13 COP 3,571

2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 FJD 1.54

$1.25 COP 3,954

-44.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 FJD 22.15

$3.99 COP 12.6K

147.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 FJD 16.10

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-46.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 FJD 4.74

$1.70 COP 5,384

24.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 FJD 7.60

$2.37 COP 7,525

43.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 FJD 1.97

$1.21 COP 3,827

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.34 FJD 50.0

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-70.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 FJD 2.05

$1.32 COP 4,179

-30.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 FJD 1.01

$2.14 COP 6,774

-78.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 FJD 19.70

$8.47 COP 26.8K

3.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 FJD 3.21

$1.30 COP 4,114

10.00%

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

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-13.10%

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

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-30.28%

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

$46.26 FJD 104

$172 COP 545.6K

-73.12%

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

$12.75 FJD 28.54

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-4.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.21 FJD 54.2

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-15.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.81 FJD 82.4

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-18.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.31 FJD 25.32

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-33.63%

Cinema Ticket

$3.42 FJD 7.65

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-45.54%

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

$225 FJD 503

$770 COP 2.4M

-70.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

48.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.29 FJD 74.5

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-61.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 FJD 88.8

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-30.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 FJD 154

$137 COP 432.9K

-49.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 FJD 134

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-38.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 FJD 1,992

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-15.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 FJD 736

$616 COP 2.0M

-46.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 FJD 5,797

$1,892 COP 6.0M

36.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 FJD 2,236

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-2.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,310 FJD 2,933

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-67.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$820 FJD 1,836

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-51.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 FJD 2,160

$652 COP 2.1M

47.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

10.94

-29.62%

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

Last update for Suva: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suva

$329 34.7%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 87.3% $287

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$231 24.4%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 27.7% $64

Eating Out

Suva

$140 14.8%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 20.2% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$91 9.6%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 87.6% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$83 8.8%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 157% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$44 4.6%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 32.5% $14

Getting Around

Suva

$29 3.1%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 222% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $889 in Suva versus $1,055 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 48% higher in Suva, 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 $45.00 in Suva versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $295 – making Suva the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

19:06 7:06 PM

02:06 2:06 AM

17 h behind Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.397 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to FJD – Fijian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇫🇯 Fijian Dollar ($)

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.52 FJD (1 FJD = 0.397 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to FJD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Suva Medellin 11,910 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Suva
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

Suva vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,419 per month in Suva and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Suva, 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 $45.00 in Suva and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $946 in Suva and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 71%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Suva, where all-in costs run around $946, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Suva it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Suva – 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 Suva. 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.