Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varamin and Medellin

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.

Varamin, Iran
Medellin, Colombia
Varamin
🇮🇷 Iran
$581
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

  • Varamin $581
  • Medellin $1,639

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

  • Varamin $889
  • Medellin $2,413

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

  • Varamin $1,198
  • Medellin $3,186

Varamin is about 65% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Varamin
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.45 $3.45
$8.09 COP 26.1K
-57.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.31 $16.31
$47.05 COP 151.9K
-65.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.04 $4.04
$9.50 COP 30.7K
-57.47%
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
$1.31 $1.31
$3.01 COP 9,735
-56.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 $0.53
$1.80 COP 5,809
-70.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.41 COP 4,561
17.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.18 COP 10.3K
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$5.75 COP 18.6K
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Varamin
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.66 $0.66
$1.51 COP 4,876
-56.29%
White Bread (500g)
$0.57 $0.57
$2.38 COP 7,678
-76.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 $3.31
$1.77 COP 5,720
87.01%
Eggs
$1.29 $1.29
$2.89 COP 9,333
-55.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$10.19 COP 32.9K
-57.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.27 $3.27
$9.87 COP 31.9K
-66.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.26 $10.26
$13.99 COP 45.2K
-26.66%
Apples (1kg)
$1.39 $1.39
$3.97 COP 12.8K
-64.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 $1.85
$1.55 COP 5,012
19.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.18 $1.18
$2.18 COP 7,048
-45.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.63 $0.63
$2.18 COP 7,051
-71.10%
Potato (1kg)
$0.56 $0.56
$1.96 COP 6,337
-71.43%
Onion (1kg)
$0.48 $0.48
$1.59 COP 5,132
-69.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.58 $0.58
$1.15 COP 3,699
-49.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.30 $0.30
$1.24 COP 4,014
-75.81%
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)
$2.46 $2.46
$3.96 COP 12.8K
-37.88%
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
-
🚌 Getting Around
Varamin
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.17 $0.17
$1.17 COP 3,771
-85.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.65 $10.65
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-86.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.52 $0.52
$1.27 COP 4,094
-59.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 $0.29
$2.05 COP 6,612
-85.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 $3.04
$8.55 COP 27.6K
-64.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.10 $0.10
$1.35 COP 4,349
-92.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K $50.8K
$34.1K COP 110.0M
49.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$45.6K $45.6K
$34.7K COP 111.9M
31.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Varamin
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$12.97 $12.97
$170 COP 547.8K
-92.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$1.58 $1.58
$13.55 COP 43.8K
-88.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$4.00 $4.00
$28.07 COP 90.6K
-85.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Varamin
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$18.84 $18.84
$43.70 COP 141.1K
-56.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.58 $14.58
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-15.18%
Cinema Ticket
$1.94 $1.94
$6.91 COP 22.3K
-71.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Varamin
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$110 $110
$797 COP 2.6M
-86.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,560 $2,560
$9,112 COP 29.4M
-71.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Varamin
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.76 $26.76
$84.7 COP 273.5K
-68.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.37 $37.37
$58.0 COP 187.2K
-35.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 $116
$135 COP 435.8K
-14.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.5 $72.5
$97.9 COP 316.0K
-25.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Varamin
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$318 $318
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-73.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$223 $223
$642 COP 2.1M
-65.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$813 $813
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-59.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$326 $326
$1,012 COP 3.3M
-67.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,188 $1,188
$4,170 COP 13.5M
-71.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$546 $546
$1,910 COP 6.2M
-71.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Varamin
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$657 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
24.79
10.94
126.60%

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

Last update for Varamin: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Varamin
$223
Medellin
$642 187% $418
Groceries & Markets
Varamin
$125
Medellin
$297 137% $172
Clothing & Footwear
Varamin
$114
Medellin
$169 48.8% $55
Eating Out
Varamin
$64
Medellin
$170 165% $106
Sport & Entertainment
Varamin
$23
Medellin
$58 153% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Varamin
$19
Medellin
$211 1040% $193
Getting Around
Varamin
$13
Medellin
$94 604% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Varamin 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Varamin versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $125 vs $297 – making Varamin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇷 Varamin
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
08:18 8:18 AM
23:48 11:48 PM
8 h 30 min behind Varamin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
225,628
2,486,723
💱 Currency
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – USD Converter

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

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Varamin Medellin 12,820 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Varamin
  • 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
Varamin vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Varamin cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 182%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $871 per month in Varamin and $2,459 in Medellin. 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 Varamin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $318 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Varamin or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Varamin and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Varamin and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $581 in Varamin and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Varamin about 65% cheaper.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Varamin or in Medellin?
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.
Is Varamin or Medellin more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
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.

Varamin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?