Cost of Living Comparison Between Varnamo and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Varnamo and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,841 per month in Varnamo vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,819 per month in Varnamo vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,796 per month in Varnamo vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Varnamo costs about 81% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Varnamo sits 37% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.64 SEK 119

$5.95 COP 20.8K

112.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 SEK 831

$33.33 COP 116.3K

165.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 SEK 111

$7.23 COP 25.2K

63.49%

Cappuccino

$4.89 SEK 45.83

$1.63 COP 5,687

200.00%

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

$2.90 SEK 27.24

$1.09 COP 3,821

166.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 20.08

$0.73 COP 2,548

193.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 SEK 76.1

$1.74 COP 6,065

366.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 SEK 67.6

$3.23 COP 11.3K

123.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 SEK 15.06

$1.05 COP 3,662

53.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 SEK 20.77

$1.29 COP 4,515

71.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 SEK 27.79

$1.32 COP 4,617

124.24%

Eggs

$4.44 SEK 41.61

$2.27 COP 7,927

95.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 SEK 123

$4.35 COP 15.2K

200.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 SEK 108

$5.88 COP 20.5K

96.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.41 SEK 163

$8.61 COP 30.0K

102.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 29.70

$2.25 COP 7,844

40.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 27.10

$1.07 COP 3,733

170.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 26.47

$1.52 COP 5,322

85.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 40.44

$1.42 COP 4,964

203.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 15.71

$1.17 COP 4,084

42.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 14.86

$1.17 COP 4,077

35.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 SEK 24.78

$0.89 COP 3,096

196.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 12.02

$0.90 COP 3,146

42.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.86 SEK 73.7

$2.25 COP 7,837

249.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 SEK 112

$11.04 COP 38.5K

7.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 SEK 18.22

$1.14 COP 3,977

70.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SEK 20.81

$2.38 COP 8,301

-6.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 SEK 30.82

$0.84 COP 2,916

291.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 SEK 687

$41.95 COP 146.4K

74.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 SEK 53.1

$1.41 COP 4,912

301.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.57 SEK 24.09

$1.90 COP 6,634

35.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.9 SEK 590

$7.75 COP 27.0K

711.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 SEK 18.25

$1.01 COP 3,509

93.07%

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

$33.2K SEK 311.5K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

88.92%

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

$34.1K SEK 319.6K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

28.59%

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

$122 SEK 1,143

$83.7 COP 292.1K

45.55%

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

$28.28 SEK 265

$9.45 COP 33.0K

199.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.20 SEK 387

$24.11 COP 84.1K

70.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.64 SEK 381

$25.31 COP 88.3K

60.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.11 SEK 236

$19.14 COP 66.8K

31.19%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 SEK 166

$4.10 COP 14.3K

332.68%

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

$174 SEK 1,635

$312 COP 1.1M

-44.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,125 SEK 38.7K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-31.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 SEK 737

$58.0 COP 202.6K

35.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 SEK 569

$32.56 COP 113.6K

86.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 977

$99.6 COP 347.7K

4.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 SEK 1,225

$109 COP 378.8K

20.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 SEK 7,988

$482 COP 1.7M

76.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 SEK 6,047

$379 COP 1.3M

69.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 SEK 12.9K

$837 COP 2.9M

64.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 SEK 10.0K

$723 COP 2.5M

48.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,312 SEK 40.4K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

51.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,016 SEK 28.3K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

146.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,115 SEK 19.8K

$541 COP 1.9M

291.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

13.43

-64.26%

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

Last update for Varnamo: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $852 in Varnamo versus $482 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 291% higher in Varnamo, 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 $89.0 in Varnamo versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $355 vs $190 – making Medellin 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

Varnamo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Varnamo is pricier by about 81%, 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 $2,762 per month in Varnamo and $1,525 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 $89.0 in Varnamo and $33.00 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 $1,841 in Varnamo and $1,017 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Varnamo at $1,841. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Varnamo 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, Varnamo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.