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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,814 per month in Varnamo vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Varnamo vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,842 per month in Varnamo vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Varnamo costs about 75% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Varnamo sits 35% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.57 SEK 117

$5.92 COP 21.5K

112.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 SEK 809

$32.75 COP 119.1K

166.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 SEK 113

$7.20 COP 26.2K

69.31%

Cappuccino

$5.05 SEK 46.78

$1.70 COP 6,186

197.06%

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

$2.84 SEK 26.29

$1.10 COP 3,996

158.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.21

$0.72 COP 2,625

187.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 SEK 74.2

$1.67 COP 6,067

379.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.51 SEK 69.6

$3.10 COP 11.3K

142.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 SEK 14.85

$1.06 COP 3,837

50.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 SEK 19.76

$1.25 COP 4,531

70.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 27.25

$1.39 COP 5,060

111.51%

Eggs

$4.44 SEK 41.16

$2.26 COP 8,229

96.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 SEK 122

$4.33 COP 15.8K

203.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.74 SEK 109

$5.84 COP 21.2K

101.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 SEK 156

$8.83 COP 32.1K

90.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 29.41

$2.24 COP 8,159

41.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 26.15

$1.08 COP 3,911

161.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 SEK 25.67

$1.53 COP 5,563

81.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 SEK 41.94

$1.37 COP 4,987

229.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 SEK 15.64

$1.13 COP 4,109

49.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 14.78

$1.12 COP 4,067

41.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 SEK 24.70

$0.85 COP 3,080

212.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 11.85

$0.91 COP 3,305

40.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.20 SEK 76.0

$2.33 COP 8,477

251.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.22 SEK 113

$11.13 COP 40.5K

9.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 SEK 18.73

$1.19 COP 4,342

69.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 20.84

$2.37 COP 8,617

-5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 SEK 32.26

$0.79 COP 2,859

340.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 SEK 683

$41.13 COP 149.6K

79.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 SEK 52.0

$1.44 COP 5,223

289.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 SEK 23.70

$1.91 COP 6,952

34.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.8 SEK 591

$8.02 COP 29.2K

695.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.55

$0.94 COP 3,410

101.06%

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

$32.7K SEK 302.8K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

82.27%

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

$34.1K SEK 315.8K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

27.15%

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

$123 SEK 1,138

$84.0 COP 305.4K

46.18%

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

$29.26 SEK 271

$9.60 COP 34.9K

204.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.11 SEK 372

$24.16 COP 87.9K

66.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.27 SEK 383

$25.88 COP 94.1K

59.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 SEK 231

$19.04 COP 69.3K

30.67%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 SEK 164

$3.92 COP 14.2K

351.53%

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

$179 SEK 1,659

$306 COP 1.1M

-41.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,165 SEK 38.6K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-29.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.2 SEK 743

$57.9 COP 210.6K

38.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 SEK 566

$31.82 COP 115.7K

91.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 SEK 983

$99.9 COP 363.3K

6.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 SEK 1,177

$107 COP 389.7K

18.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 SEK 7,718

$487 COP 1.8M

71.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 SEK 6,149

$368 COP 1.3M

80.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 SEK 12.8K

$826 COP 3.0M

66.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 SEK 9,870

$716 COP 2.6M

48.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,394 SEK 40.7K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

50.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,014 SEK 27.9K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

114.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,169 SEK 20.1K

$546 COP 2.0M

297.67%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $833 in Varnamo versus $487 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 298% 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 $87.0 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 75%, 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 $2,720 per month in Varnamo and $1,550 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 $87.0 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 $1,814 in Varnamo and $1,034 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 $1,034, than in Varnamo at $1,814. 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.