Medellín vs Paramaribo
In numbers
Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.
Winter
averageMedellín17–27 °C17–27 °CParamaribo22–32 °C22–32 °CPrecipitation
per yearMedellín1,673 mm1,673 mmParamaribo2,147.7 mm2,147.7 mm
By topic
A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.
Daily life
Medellín
A housing stratum from 1 to 6 appears in the listing and in the tariffs. In 5–6 electricity is 20% more expensive than in 4, water 1.5–1.6 times. A three-bedroom in stratum 4 is about 3.3 million pesos, in 6 - 8 million.
OfficialEPM: electricity rates, regulated market, September 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
Nothing yet
Housing
Medellín
Three-bedroom apartment: Belén and Sabaneta 3.1–3.3 million pesos a month, Laureles and Envigado 4.5 million, El Poblado 6.9 million. Listing medians.
SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for rent in El Poblado · checked 29 Sep 2026
Three-bedroom resale: Sabaneta about 540 million pesos, Laureles 725 million, El Poblado 873 million, Envigado 920 million. These are listing prices, not transaction prices.
SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for sale in El Poblado · checked 29 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
We found no reliable rent figures. MPs say landlords increasingly demand payment in dollars or euros, and families spend hundreds of euros a month on housing.
SpecialistWaterkant: Cambiel expects no solution to the housing problem, 18 May 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Money and prices
Medellín
The DANE minimum food basket for Medellín is 240,728 pesos per person per month, about 963k for a family of four. Figures for 2025.
OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 29 Sep 2026
A family of four in Medellín is considered poor with an income below 2.4 million pesos a month, about $730 (2025). The average income is 1.93 million per person.
OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 29 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
Nothing yet
Family and kids
Medellín
The international The Columbus School in Envigado for 2026–27: 4.3 million pesos a month from August to May plus a 4.8 million fee in June. This is the upper bound.
SpecialistThe Columbus School: fees for the 2026-27 school year · checked 29 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
Nothing yet
Healthcare
Medellín
In the Newsweek 2026 ranking for Colombia, Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe is 3rd, San Vicente Fundación 8th, and six more clinics of the metropolitan area are in the top 45. The ranking is commercial.
SpecialistNewsweek and Statista: World’s Best Hospitals 2026, Colombia · checked 29 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
Nothing yet
Transport
Medellín
A ride on the metro, tram, cable car or Metroplús with a personalized Cívica card costs 3,820 pesos, 4,400 with an anonymous card, 1,600 for students.
OfficialMetro de Medellín: fares by Cívica card profile · checked 29 Sep 2026
The main airport, José María Córdova, is in Rionegro, about 35 km from the city. In 2025 it handled 14.6 million passengers, 4.2 million of them international.
SpecialistLadevi: José María Córdova airport, passenger record in 2025 · checked 29 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport is in Zanderij, 45 km south of the city. Flights to Amsterdam (KLM, SLM), Miami, Panama, Curaçao and Belém.
OfficialJohan Adolf Pengel Airport: about the airport · checked 6 Oct 2026
Climate
Medellín
No winter: the average monthly temperature is 21–22.5 degrees all year round. Coolest in October: on average from 16.6 at night to 26.8 during the day.
OfficialIDEAM: climate table, Olaya Herrera airport (Medellín) · checked 29 Sep 2026
About 1,670 mm a year and 224 days with rain. Two wet seasons, April–May and September–November; driest in December–February.
OfficialIDEAM: climate table, Olaya Herrera airport (Medellín) · checked 29 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
About 2150 mm a year. Wettest in May-June (275-330 mm a month, 22 rainy days each), driest in September-October (76-95 mm).
OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Paramaribo · checked 6 Oct 2026
There is no winter: in January it is about 22 degrees at night and 32 by day. Hottest are September to November, 34-35 degrees by day.
OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Paramaribo · checked 6 Oct 2026
Safety
Medellín
In 2025 there were 326 murders, about 13 per 100k residents; for the country in 2024 it was 25.4. In El Poblado and Laureles there are few murders, the most are in the center.
SpecialistQue Pasa Medallo: homicides in Medellín in 2025 according to SISC · checked 29 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
Paramaribo has burglaries and armed robberies, and pickpocketing is growing in shopping areas. Quiet secluded places, including Palmentuin, are risky.
OfficialUK Foreign Office: Suriname travel advice, Safety and security (updated 10 December 2025) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Internet and phone
Medellín
Tigo gives 500 Mbit/s for 75,900 pesos a month in strata 1–3 and for 90,321 in strata 4–6, VAT included. On the cable network the upload is only 15 Mbit/s.
SpecialistTigo: terms of the Full Tigo package for Medellín and the metropolitan area, January 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
Median fixed internet in Suriname is 183 Mbit/s (Speedtest, August 2026). Telesur Fiber 400 Mbit/s costs 1124.96 SRD (about 30 dollars) excluding VAT, 2-year contract.
SpecialistSpeedtest Global Index: Suriname, median speeds, August 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Services
Medellín
EPM network gas in strata 3–4: 3,560 pesos per m³ plus a fixed charge of 4,390 a month. For 30 m³ it comes to about 111k pesos ($34). In stratum 6 the price is 4,272 per m³.
OfficialEPM: piped gas tariffs, Valle de Aburrá, September 2026 consumption (October bills) · checked 29 Sep 2026
Electricity for 200 kWh and water for 15 m³ at EPM tariffs: stratum 4 about 342k pesos a month, strata 5–6 - 455–470k, stratum 3 - 306k. Gas and garbage are extra.
OfficialEPM: electricity rates, regulated market, September 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026
EPM electricity for 300 kWh a month: stratum 4 about 288k pesos ($87), stratum 6 about 345k, stratum 3 about 269k. September 2026 tariff, excluding fees.
OfficialEPM: electricity tariffs, regulated market, September 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
SWM water: 41.81 SRD per m³ since January 2026 plus a 40 SRD meter rent and 5% VAT. 15 m³ a month is about 700 SRD, roughly 18.5 dollars.
OfficialSWM: water tariffs July 2025 - January 2026 and a sample bill · checked 6 Oct 2026
EBS electricity: 1.971 SRD per kWh up to 400 kWh plus 211.78 SRD a month. 300 kWh is about 803 SRD (21 dollars) before the subsidy in the tariff table.
OfficialEBS: electricity tariffs in force since December 2024 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Bottled gas at Ministry of Economic Affairs prices: a 20 lb (about 9 kg) refill in Paramaribo costs 35.75 SRD, 28 lb 48.50, 100 lb 186 SRD.
OfficialEBS: gas cylinder refill prices set by the Ministry of Economic Affairs · checked 6 Oct 2026

