Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vaasa and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $1,868 in Vaasa, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Vaasa
Learn more

Vaasa Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Vaasa

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,868

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,868 per month in Vaasa vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Vaasa $1,868
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $2,778 per month in Vaasa vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Vaasa $2,778
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $3,687 per month in Vaasa vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Vaasa $3,687
Medellin $3,199

Vaasa costs about 15% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Vaasa and Medellin sit above the global median – Vaasa by 38%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.62 €13.90

$8.30 COP 26.3K

88.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 €75.9

$46.91 COP 148.7K

81.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 €8.90

$9.24 COP 29.3K

8.23%

Cappuccino

$4.90 €4.36

$3.05 COP 9,676

60.66%

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

$4.11 €3.65

$1.80 COP 5,707

128.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 €3.46

$1.38 COP 4,382

181.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.17 €7.27

$3.24 COP 10.3K

152.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.91 €7.93

$5.56 COP 17.6K

60.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.41

$1.50 COP 4,760

6.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 €2.83

$2.37 COP 7,508

34.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 €3.70

$1.70 COP 5,377

144.71%

Eggs

$3.60 €3.20

$2.96 COP 9,379

21.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 €7.88

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-13.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.06 €10.72

$9.74 COP 30.9K

23.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.49 €19.12

$13.90 COP 44.1K

54.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.35

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-35.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$1.53 COP 4,839

49.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.51

$2.22 COP 7,052

27.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 €4.06

$2.27 COP 7,194

101.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.99 COP 6,311

-34.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.67 COP 5,285

13.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 €2.53

$1.18 COP 3,742

140.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.76 €3.35

$1.24 COP 3,919

203.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.68 €13.06

$3.87 COP 12.3K

279.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 €11.06

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-9.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.61

$1.66 COP 5,256

76.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.55

$2.40 COP 7,615

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.24 COP 3,944

69.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.91 €35.50

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-48.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.88 €10.56

$1.28 COP 4,044

828.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 €1.21

$2.15 COP 6,803

-36.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.0 €81.0

$8.37 COP 26.5K

987.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.87

$1.35 COP 4,288

56.30%

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

$36.8K €32.7K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

5.78%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-2.61%

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

$256 €228

$167 COP 528.4K

53.75%

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

$36.89 €32.82

$13.62 COP 43.2K

170.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.15 €33.93

$29.12 COP 92.3K

31.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.55 €35.18

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-12.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.72 €15.77

$17.18 COP 54.5K

3.14%

Cinema Ticket

$14.36 €12.78

$6.97 COP 22.1K

106.03%

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

$423 €376

$790 COP 2.5M

-46.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.7 €72.6

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-7.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.20 €19.75

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-61.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.7 €59.3

$139 COP 440.7K

-52.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €112

$98.9 COP 313.5K

27.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 €653

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-28.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 €499

$620 COP 2.0M

-9.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 €924

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-44.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 €707

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-21.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,721 €2,420

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-31.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,220 €1,975

$1,702 COP 5.4M

30.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,640 €3,237

$663 COP 2.1M

448.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

10.94

-51.83%

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

Last update for Vaasa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vaasa

$561 30%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 10.5% $59

Groceries & Markets

Vaasa

$403 21.6%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 26.1% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vaasa

$331 17.7%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 36.8% $122

Eating Out

Vaasa

$305 16.3%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 43.9% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Vaasa

$134 7.2%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 29.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Vaasa

$68 3.7%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 13.5% $9.3

Getting Around

Vaasa

$67 3.6%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 42.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $734 in Vaasa versus $1,028 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 449% higher in Vaasa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Vaasa versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Vaasa

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

04:32 4:32 AM

8 h behind Vaasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,374

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vaasa Medellin 9,750 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Vaasa
Medellin

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

Vaasa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vaasa is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,802 per month in Vaasa and $2,437 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Vaasa and $47.00 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 $1,868 in Vaasa and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 15%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Vaasa at $1,868. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vaasa 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.

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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vaasa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.