Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Varadero

For one person, living is cheaper in Varadero: $1,173 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Varadero
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Varadero Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Varadero

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,173

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Varadero

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 Varadero actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,173 in Varadero, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Varadero $1,173

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,546 in Varadero, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Varadero $1,546

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,920 in Varadero, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Varadero $1,920

Medellin costs about 40% more than Varadero, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Varadero is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$3.59 CUP 86.2

125.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$19.95 CUP 479

135.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$5.12 CUP 123

85.55%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.01 CUP 24.20

198.02%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.58 CUP 37.97

13.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.99 CUP 23.81

42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$1.22 CUP 29.24

160.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.01 CUP 48.31

186.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$2.71 CUP 65.0

-44.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.48 CUP 35.41

60.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.50 CUP 35.98

18.00%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.16 CUP 51.9

33.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$4.51 CUP 108

125.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.41 CUP 106

123.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$8.74 CUP 210

60.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.49 CUP 83.7

13.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.05 CUP 25.28

47.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.58 CUP 37.96

37.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.61 CUP 38.52

35.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$2.21 CUP 53.1

-11.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.77 CUP 66.4

-42.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.66 CUP 15.78

74.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.52 CUP 12.57

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$1.63 CUP 39.22

142.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$5.28 CUP 127

159.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,222

$0.89 CUP 21.29

86.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,104

$2.15 CUP 51.7

5.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.09 CUP 2.13

1200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$15.73 CUP 378

391.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.98 CUP 47.41

-35.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.34 CUP 8.10

502.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$19.68 CUP 472

-56.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.33 CUP 31.91

1.50%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$70.4K CUP 1.7M

-51.63%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$81.3K CUP 2.0M

-57.35%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$39.23 CUP 941

332.45%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$39.53 CUP 949

-65.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$91.0 CUP 2,184

-69.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$39.45 CUP 947

10.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$15.04 CUP 361

14.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$0.88 CUP 21.05

685.23%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$89.4 CUP 2,144

791.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$12.6K CUP 302.0K

-27.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$39.42 CUP 946

114.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$30.09 CUP 722

92.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$75.7 CUP 1,818

78.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$68.0 CUP 1,631

43.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$492 CUP 11.8K

145.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$573 CUP 13.7K

12.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,197 CUP 28.7K

69.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$644 CUP 15.5K

57.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$396 CUP 9,494

954.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$347 CUP 8,323

450.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$19.53 CUP 469

3264.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.1

20.22%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Varadero: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Varadero

$573 48.9% 10.7% $69

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Varadero

$197 16.8% 33.7% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Varadero

$170 14.5% 19.7% $42

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Varadero

$77 6.5% 54.8% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Varadero

$96 8.2% 43.2% $73

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Varadero

$20 1.7% 78.9% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Varadero

$41 3.5% 28.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $492 in Varadero. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 34 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $20 in Varadero. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $197 – making Varadero the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇺 Varadero

🕒 Local time

06:15 6:15 AM

07:15 7:15 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

27,170

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.71 CUP (100 CUP = 3.74 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Varadero 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Varadero

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 Varadero: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,759 in Varadero. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varadero, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $492 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $20 in Varadero. 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 $1,173 in Varadero. That’s a gap of about 40%.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,173 in Varadero. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Varadero – 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 Varadero. 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.