Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varnamo and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $1,787 in Varnamo, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Varnamo despite lower rent and utilities.

Varnamo, Sweden
Medellin, Colombia
Varnamo
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,787
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,787 per month in Varnamo vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Varnamo $1,787
  • Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $2,750 per month in Varnamo vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Varnamo $2,750
  • Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $3,713 per month in Varnamo vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Varnamo $3,713
  • Medellin $3,249

Varnamo costs about 6% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Varnamo and Medellin sit above the global median – Varnamo by 32%, Medellin by 25%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Varnamo
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.15 SEK 129
$8.34 COP 26.8K
57.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.7 SEK 896
$46.53 COP 149.7K
97.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.43 SEK 121
$9.47 COP 30.5K
31.26%
Cappuccino
$4.68 SEK 45.74
$3.13 COP 10.1K
49.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 SEK 27.65
$1.77 COP 5,681
59.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 SEK 21.01
$1.42 COP 4,582
51.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.95 SEK 77.6
$3.15 COP 10.1K
152.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.27 SEK 71.1
$5.70 COP 18.3K
27.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Varnamo
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 SEK 17.56
$1.53 COP 4,930
17.65%
White Bread (500g)
$2.52 SEK 24.58
$2.29 COP 7,370
10.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.44 SEK 33.60
$1.94 COP 6,257
77.32%
Eggs
$4.66 SEK 45.55
$3.07 COP 9,864
51.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.60 SEK 123
$9.99 COP 32.1K
26.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.95 SEK 117
$10.45 COP 33.6K
14.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.00 SEK 156
$13.96 COP 44.9K
14.61%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 SEK 30.25
$4.05 COP 13.0K
-23.46%
Banana (1kg)
$2.57 SEK 25.13
$1.53 COP 4,916
67.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.80 SEK 27.35
$2.10 COP 6,769
33.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.57 SEK 44.70
$2.29 COP 7,378
99.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.75 SEK 17.14
$2.11 COP 6,785
-17.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 SEK 14.39
$1.71 COP 5,498
-14.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.75 SEK 26.86
$1.17 COP 3,764
135.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.56 SEK 15.28
$1.58 COP 5,083
-1.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.01 SEK 78.3
$3.91 COP 12.6K
104.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.14 SEK 109
$14.04 COP 45.2K
-20.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.97 SEK 19.27
$1.76 COP 5,667
11.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 SEK 27.50
$2.71 COP 8,724
3.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Varnamo
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.30 SEK 32.23
$1.18 COP 3,795
179.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.6 SEK 769
$76.3 COP 245.4K
3.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.22 SEK 51.0
$1.81 COP 5,812
188.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.10 SEK 10.71
$2.13 COP 6,849
-48.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.05 SEK 411
$8.13 COP 26.2K
417.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 SEK 17.46
$1.28 COP 4,102
39.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.0K SEK 332.3K
$34.4K COP 110.8M
-1.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.8K SEK 340.0K
$34.1K COP 109.8M
1.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Varnamo
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.0 SEK 772
$178 COP 571.7K
-55.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.32 SEK 169
$13.89 COP 44.7K
24.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.30 SEK 296
$30.74 COP 98.9K
-1.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Varnamo
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.62 SEK 319
$41.94 COP 134.9K
-22.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.50 SEK 239
$16.80 COP 54.0K
45.83%
Cinema Ticket
$15.15 SEK 148
$7.47 COP 24.0K
102.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Varnamo
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$163 SEK 1,594
$790 COP 2.5M
-79.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,342 SEK 42.4K
$12.3K COP 39.6M
-64.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Varnamo
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.2 SEK 813
$86.3 COP 277.7K
-3.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.9 SEK 585
$59.3 COP 190.6K
1.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 SEK 984
$138 COP 445.0K
-27.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 SEK 1,246
$98.8 COP 317.8K
29.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Varnamo
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$781 SEK 7,630
$1,341 COP 4.3M
-41.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$693 SEK 6,773
$667 COP 2.1M
3.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,571 SEK 15.4K
$1,976 COP 6.4M
-20.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,007 SEK 9,841
$1,033 COP 3.3M
-2.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,162 SEK 40.7K
$4,098 COP 13.2M
1.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,955 SEK 28.9K
$1,940 COP 6.2M
52.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Varnamo
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,076 SEK 20.3K
$646 COP 2.1M
221.29%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.03
10.94
-72.30%

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

Last update for Varnamo: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Varnamo
$693
Medellin
$667 3.7% $26
Groceries & Markets
Varnamo
$362
Medellin
$307 15% $54
Eating Out
Varnamo
$273
Medellin
$173 36.7% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Varnamo
$167
Medellin
$172 3.1% $5.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Varnamo
$127
Medellin
$222 75.6% $96
Getting Around
Varnamo
$103
Medellin
$93 8.8% $9.1
Sport & Entertainment
Varnamo
$63
Medellin
$57 9.6% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $781 in Varnamo versus $1,341 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 Varnamo are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92 in Varnamo versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Varnamo
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
01:00 1:00 AM
19:00 7:00 PM
6 h behind Varnamo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
19,778
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.77 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.97 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,217 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Varnamo Medellin 9,400 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Varnamo
  • 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
Varnamo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Varnamo?
Yes – Varnamo is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,680 per month in Varnamo and $2,538 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 Varnamo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $781 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Varnamo or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $92 in Varnamo 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 Varnamo and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,787 in Varnamo and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 5% cheaper.
Is $2,500 enough for either Varnamo or Medellin?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,787 in Varnamo and $1,692 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Varnamo or in Medellin?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $1,787 in Varnamo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Varnamo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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