Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Varamin

For one person, living is cheaper in Varamin: $581 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Varamin
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Varamin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Varamin

🇮🇷 Iran

$581

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Varamin

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $581 in Varamin, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Varamin $581

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $889 in Varamin, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Varamin $889

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,198 in Varamin, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Varamin $1,198

Medellin costs about 182% more than Varamin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Varamin is 57% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.45 $3.45

134.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$16.31 $16.31

188.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.04 $4.04

135.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.67 $0.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.31 $1.31

129.77%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.53 $0.53

239.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.65 $1.65

-14.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$0.66 $0.66

128.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.57 $0.57

317.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$3.31 $3.31

-46.53%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.29 $1.29

124.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$4.33 $4.33

135.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.27 $3.27

201.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$10.26 $10.26

36.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.39 $1.39

185.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.85 $1.85

-16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.18 $1.18

84.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$0.63 $0.63

246.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.56 $0.56

250.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.48 $0.48

231.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.58 $0.58

98.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.30 $0.30

313.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.78 $0.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.46 $2.46

60.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.17 $0.17

588.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$10.65 $10.65

626.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.52 $0.52

144.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.29 $0.29

606.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$3.04 $3.04

181.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.10 $0.10

1250.00%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$50.8K $50.8K

-33.00%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$45.6K $45.6K

-23.90%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$12.97 $12.97

1208.02%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$1.58 $1.58

757.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$4.00 $4.00

601.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$18.84 $18.84

131.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$14.58 $14.58

17.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$1.94 $1.94

256.19%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$110 $110

625.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$2,560 $2,560

255.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$26.76 $26.76

216.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$37.37 $37.37

55.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$116 $116

16.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$72.5 $72.5

34.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$318 $318

279.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$223 $223

187.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$813 $813

149.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$326 $326

210.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,188 $1,188

251.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$546 $546

249.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

24.79

-55.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Varamin: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Varamin

$223 38.5% 65.2% $418

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Varamin

$125 21.6% 57.8% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Varamin

$19 3.2% 91.2% $193

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Varamin

$64 11% 62.2% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Varamin

$114 19.6% 32.8% $55

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Varamin

$13 2.3% 85.8% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Varamin

$23 3.9% 60.5% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $318 in Varamin. 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 $47 in Medellin versus $16 in Varamin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $125 – making Varamin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇷 Varamin

🕒 Local time

00:30 12:30 AM

09:00 9:00 AM

8 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

225,628

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Varamin 12,820 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Varamin

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 Varamin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 182%, 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 $871 in Varamin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varamin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $318 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $16 in Varamin. 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 $581 in Varamin. That makes Varamin about 65% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Varamin, where all-in costs run around $581, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Varamin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Varamin is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 65% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.