Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Varberg

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Varberg: $1,639 and $1,635 a month, rent and utilities included.

Medellin, Colombia
Varberg, Sweden
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Varberg
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,635
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Varberg

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,635 in Varberg, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Varberg $1,635

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,623 in Varberg, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Varberg $2,623

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,610 in Varberg, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Varberg $3,610

Medellin and Varberg have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Medellin and Varberg sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Varberg by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Varberg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.6K
$15.35 SEK 152
-47.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.9K
$76.3 SEK 756
-38.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$10.20 SEK 101
-6.86%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,540
$3.83 SEK 37.92
-21.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,693
$1.19 SEK 11.78
51.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,469
$1.02 SEK 10.10
38.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.0K
$6.18 SEK 61.2
-48.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.2K
$7.42 SEK 73.5
-22.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Varberg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,778
$1.43 SEK 14.13
5.59%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,524
$2.96 SEK 29.34
-19.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,606
$3.44 SEK 34.05
-48.55%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,146
$4.13 SEK 40.87
-30.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.2K
$12.77 SEK 126
-20.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.2K
$10.88 SEK 108
-9.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.3K
$19.85 SEK 197
-29.52%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.6K
$2.97 SEK 29.41
33.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,911
$2.53 SEK 25.02
-38.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,907
$2.95 SEK 29.16
-26.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,910
$4.21 SEK 41.67
-48.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,210
$1.47 SEK 14.55
33.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,029
$1.49 SEK 14.70
6.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,625
$2.53 SEK 25.08
-54.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,934
$0.97 SEK 9.62
27.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$6.77 SEK 67.0
-41.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.3K
$10.24 SEK 101
33.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,252
$2.07 SEK 20.48
-19.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,145
$1.18 SEK 11.68
91.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Varberg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,696
$2.94 SEK 29.07
-60.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 244.8K
$77.8 SEK 770
-0.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,013
$4.93 SEK 48.86
-74.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,480
$2.41 SEK 23.82
-14.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.1K
$49.63 SEK 491
-82.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,262
$1.81 SEK 17.95
-25.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.8M
$33.0K SEK 326.6K
3.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.7M
$33.6K SEK 332.5K
3.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Varberg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 536.8K
$141 SEK 1,395
20.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.9K
$19.92 SEK 197
-31.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.8K
$29.69 SEK 294
-5.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Varberg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 138.3K
$40.37 SEK 400
8.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.4K
$40.39 SEK 400
-57.44%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.9K
$15.84 SEK 157
-56.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Varberg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$149 SEK 1,473
435.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.8M
$3,455 SEK 34.2K
163.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Varberg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 268.1K
$70.9 SEK 702
19.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 183.4K
$40.23 SEK 398
44.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 427.1K
$108 SEK 1,074
24.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 309.7K
$149 SEK 1,474
-34.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Varberg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$798 SEK 7,902
51.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$495 SEK 4,901
29.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$1,221 SEK 12.1K
66.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$915 SEK 9,059
10.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.2M
$6,532 SEK 64.7K
-36.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$3,568 SEK 35.3K
-46.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Varberg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$3,103 SEK 30.7K
-78.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
1.9
475.79%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Varberg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Varberg
$495 22.8% $147
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Varberg
$352 18.4% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Varberg
$191 9.8% $21
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Varberg
$254 49.7% $84
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Varberg
$166 1.9% $3.2
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Varberg
$107 13.8% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Varberg
$72 25.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $798 in Varberg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Varberg are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $76 in Varberg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $352 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇸🇪 Varberg
🕒 Local time
23:02 11:02 PM
05:02 5:02 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
27,602
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.9 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.02 SEK (100 SEK = 9.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Varberg 9,290 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Varberg

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 Varberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,453 in Varberg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Varberg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $798 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Varberg?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $76 in Varberg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $149 in Varberg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 enough for either Medellin or Varberg?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,635 in Varberg, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Medellin or Varberg more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Varberg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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