Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varadero and Medellin

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.

56

Cost of Living Index in Varadero
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Varadero Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Varadero

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,173

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Varadero $1,173
Medellin $1,639

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

Varadero $1,546
Medellin $2,413

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

Varadero $1,920
Medellin $3,186

Varadero is about 28% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 CUP 86.2

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-55.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.95 CUP 479

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-57.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 CUP 123

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-46.11%

Cappuccino

$1.01 CUP 24.20

$3.01 COP 9,485

-66.45%

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

$1.58 CUP 37.97

$1.80 COP 5,660

-12.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 CUP 23.81

$1.41 COP 4,443

-29.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 CUP 29.24

$3.18 COP 9,990

-61.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 CUP 48.31

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-65.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 CUP 65.0

$1.51 COP 4,751

79.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 CUP 35.41

$2.38 COP 7,480

-37.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 CUP 35.98

$1.77 COP 5,573

-15.25%

Eggs

$2.16 CUP 51.9

$2.89 COP 9,093

-25.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.51 CUP 108

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-55.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 CUP 106

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-55.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.74 CUP 210

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-37.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 CUP 83.7

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-12.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 CUP 25.28

$1.55 COP 4,883

-32.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CUP 37.96

$2.18 COP 6,867

-27.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 CUP 38.52

$2.18 COP 6,870

-26.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 CUP 53.1

$1.96 COP 6,174

12.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 CUP 66.4

$1.59 COP 5,000

74.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 CUP 15.78

$1.15 COP 3,604

-42.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 CUP 12.57

$1.24 COP 3,911

-58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.63 CUP 39.22

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-58.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.28 CUP 127

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-61.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 CUP 21.29

$1.66 COP 5,222

-46.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 CUP 51.7

$2.26 COP 7,104

-4.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 CUP 2.13

$1.17 COP 3,674

-92.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.73 CUP 378

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-79.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 CUP 47.41

$1.27 COP 3,989

55.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 CUP 8.10

$2.05 COP 6,442

-83.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.68 CUP 472

$8.55 COP 26.9K

130.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CUP 31.91

$1.35 COP 4,237

-1.48%

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

$70.4K CUP 1.7M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

106.76%

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

$81.3K CUP 2.0M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

134.44%

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

$39.23 CUP 941

$170 COP 533.7K

-76.88%

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

$39.53 CUP 949

$13.55 COP 42.6K

191.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.0 CUP 2,184

$28.07 COP 88.3K

224.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 CUP 947

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-9.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.04 CUP 361

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-12.51%

Cinema Ticket

$0.88 CUP 21.05

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-87.26%

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

$89.4 CUP 2,144

$797 COP 2.5M

-88.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K CUP 302.0K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

38.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.42 CUP 946

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-53.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.09 CUP 722

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-48.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 CUP 1,818

$135 COP 424.6K

-43.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 CUP 1,631

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-30.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 CUP 11.8K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-59.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 CUP 13.7K

$642 COP 2.0M

-10.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 CUP 28.7K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-40.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 CUP 15.5K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-36.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$396 CUP 9,494

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-90.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$347 CUP 8,323

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-81.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$19.53 CUP 469

$657 COP 2.1M

-97.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

10.94

-16.82%

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

Last update for Varadero: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varadero

$573 48.9%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 12% $69

Groceries & Markets

Varadero

$197 16.8%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 50.9% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varadero

$170 14.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 24.5% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Varadero

$96 8.2%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 76.1% $73

Eating Out

Varadero

$77 6.5%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 121% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Varadero

$41 3.5%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 39.6% $16

Getting Around

Varadero

$20 1.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 374% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $492 in Varadero versus $1,208 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 in Medellin are about 34 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

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

Good to know

🇨🇺 Varadero

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

05:19 5:19 AM

1 h behind Varadero

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,170

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.74 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

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).

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).

USD to CUP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Varadero Medellin 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Varadero
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Varadero vs Medellin: 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 $1,759 per month in Varadero and $2,459 in Medellin. 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 $20 in Varadero and $47 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 $1,173 in Varadero and $1,639 in Medellin. That’s a gap of about 40%.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,173 in Varadero and $1,639 in Medellin. 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.