Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Varkala Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Varkala

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $386 in Varkala, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $615 in Varkala, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $844 in Varkala, rent included.

Medellin costs about 326% more than Varkala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Varkala is 72% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.35 ₹225

242.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$10.43 ₹996

362.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$3.59 ₹343

162.40%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.57 ₹150

87.26%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.40 ₹38.48

365.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.16 ₹14.94

812.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.71 ₹164

87.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.07 ₹293

85.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.65 ₹62.0

121.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.48 ₹46.27

400.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.70 ₹67.1

142.86%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$0.93 ₹89.3

210.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$4.88 ₹466

106.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$2.92 ₹279

241.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.98 ₹189

101.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.69 ₹66.0

128.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.96 ₹91.6

123.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.53 ₹51.1

333.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.38 ₹36.66

426.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.45 ₹43.36

235.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.48 ₹45.99

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.31 ₹29.95

312.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.88 ₹370

-1.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.22 ₹690

94.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.79 ₹171

-4.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.90 ₹277

-5.52%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.47 ₹523

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.30 ₹28.81

316.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$8.65 ₹827

800.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.78 ₹74.3

67.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.25 ₹23.81

768.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$1.47 ₹140

463.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.18 ₹112

15.25%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$14.0K ₹1.3M

95.82%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$21.8K ₹2.1M

67.90%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$39.46 ₹3,770

327.57%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$3.38 ₹323

301.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$7.30 ₹698

287.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$16.07 ₹1,535

184.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$7.17 ₹685

140.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$2.93 ₹280

126.96%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$52.0 ₹4,963

1446.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$1,557 ₹148.7K

490.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$24.07 ₹2,299

262.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$24.95 ₹2,384

137.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$42.27 ₹4,038

228.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$30.11 ₹2,876

238.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$122 ₹11.7K

776.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$75.2 ₹7,185

768.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$276 ₹26.4K

596.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$182 ₹17.4K

476.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,052 ₹100.5K

291.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$603 ₹57.6K

181.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.67

26.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Varkala: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $122 in Varkala. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $10.00 in Varkala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $105 – making Varkala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Varkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 326%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $578 in Varkala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varkala, 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $10.00 in Varkala. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $386 in Varkala. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Varkala, where all-in costs run around $386, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Varkala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Varkala – 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 Varkala. 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.