Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waikiki, HI and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $3,148 in Waikiki, HI, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Waikiki, HI
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Waikiki, HI Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Waikiki, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,148

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,148 per month in Waikiki, HI vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Waikiki, HI $3,148
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $4,580 per month in Waikiki, HI vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Waikiki, HI $4,580
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $6,011 per month in Waikiki, HI vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Waikiki, HI $6,011
Medellin $3,249

Waikiki, HI costs about 86% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Waikiki, HI and Medellin sit above the global median – Waikiki, HI by 133%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.12 $25.12

$8.34 COP 26.9K

201.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$140 $140

$46.53 COP 150.3K

200.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.23 $15.23

$9.47 COP 30.6K

60.82%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$3.13 COP 10.1K

89.78%

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

$5.06 $5.06

$1.77 COP 5,705

185.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$1.42 COP 4,601

155.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.44 $10.44

$3.15 COP 10.2K

231.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.37 $11.37

$5.70 COP 18.4K

99.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.53 COP 4,950

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.29 COP 7,401

53.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$1.94 COP 6,282

422.68%

Eggs

$8.84 $8.84

$3.07 COP 9,905

187.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.51 $12.51

$9.99 COP 32.3K

25.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.34 $20.34

$10.45 COP 33.7K

94.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.60 $21.60

$13.96 COP 45.1K

54.73%

Apples (1kg)

$8.26 $8.26

$4.05 COP 13.1K

103.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.53 COP 4,937

9.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.93 $6.93

$2.10 COP 6,797

230.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$2.29 COP 7,409

306.99%

Potato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.11 COP 6,813

130.33%

Onion (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.71 COP 5,521

185.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.30 $5.30

$1.17 COP 3,780

352.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.58 COP 5,104

92.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.88 $12.88

$3.91 COP 12.6K

229.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 $18.20

$14.04 COP 45.4K

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.76 COP 5,690

52.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 $5.68

$2.71 COP 8,760

109.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.18 COP 3,811

90.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 $59.9

$76.3 COP 246.4K

-21.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.81 COP 5,836

98.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.13 COP 6,878

23.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.63 $45.63

$8.13 COP 26.3K

461.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.28 COP 4,119

17.19%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$34.4K COP 111.2M

4.75%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$34.1K COP 110.3M

-22.04%

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

$250 $250

$178 COP 574.1K

40.80%

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

$65.4 $65.4

$13.89 COP 44.9K

370.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$30.74 COP 99.3K

109.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.02 $41.02

$41.94 COP 135.5K

-2.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$19.78 $19.78

$7.47 COP 24.1K

164.79%

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

$2,118 $2,118

$790 COP 2.6M

168.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K $28.2K

$12.3K COP 39.7M

129.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 $63.7

$86.3 COP 278.9K

-26.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.25 $47.25

$59.3 COP 191.4K

-20.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$138 COP 446.9K

-25.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$98.8 COP 319.2K

34.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$1,341 COP 4.3M

20.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 $1,424

$667 COP 2.2M

113.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,612 $2,612

$1,976 COP 6.4M

32.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,965 $1,965

$1,033 COP 3.3M

90.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,676 $2,676

$4,098 COP 13.2M

-34.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,422 $2,422

$1,940 COP 6.3M

24.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.94

-37.93%

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

Last update for Waikiki, HI: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waikiki, HI

$1.4K 45.2%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 53.2% $757

Groceries & Markets

Waikiki, HI

$594 18.9%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 48.3% $287

Eating Out

Waikiki, HI

$428 13.6%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 59.6% $255

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waikiki, HI

$380 12.1%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 41.5% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Waikiki, HI

$156 5%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 10.4% $16

Getting Around

Waikiki, HI

$86 2.7%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 9.1% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Waikiki, HI

$81 2.6%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 29.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,612 in Waikiki, HI versus $1,341 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $140 in Waikiki, HI versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $594 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waikiki, HI

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:12 5:12 AM

10:12 10:12 AM

5 h ahead of Waikiki, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,862

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Waikiki, HI Medellin 8,950 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Waikiki, HI
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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

Waikiki, HI vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Waikiki, HI is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,722 per month in Waikiki, HI and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,341 there versus $1,612 in Waikiki, HI.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $140 in Waikiki, HI and $47 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 $3,148 in Waikiki, HI and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 46% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Waikiki, HI at $3,148. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waikiki, HI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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