Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bålsta and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Bålsta: $1,563 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $910 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
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Bålsta Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,563

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,563 in Bålsta versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Bålsta $1,563
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Bålsta versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Bålsta $2,445
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,328 in Bålsta versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Bålsta $3,328
Medellin $3,186

Living in Bålsta costs roughly 5% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bålsta 15% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.67 SEK 134

$8.09 COP 26.1K

68.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.8 SEK 656

$47.05 COP 151.7K

42.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 SEK 86.4

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-7.37%

Cappuccino

$3.95 SEK 38.79

$3.01 COP 9,722

31.23%

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

$2.68 SEK 26.31

$1.80 COP 5,801

48.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 21.99

$1.41 COP 4,554

58.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 SEK 70.3

$3.18 COP 10.2K

125.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 SEK 68.3

$5.75 COP 18.5K

21.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 SEK 14.62

$1.51 COP 4,869

-1.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 SEK 19.66

$2.38 COP 7,667

-15.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 SEK 34.42

$1.77 COP 5,712

98.31%

Eggs

$3.71 SEK 36.45

$2.89 COP 9,320

28.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 SEK 108

$10.19 COP 32.9K

8.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 SEK 120

$9.87 COP 31.8K

23.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 SEK 108

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-21.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 SEK 24.52

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-37.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 SEK 25.54

$1.55 COP 5,005

67.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 SEK 20.32

$2.18 COP 7,039

-5.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 28.42

$2.18 COP 7,041

33.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 SEK 14.75

$1.96 COP 6,328

-23.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 SEK 11.59

$1.59 COP 5,125

-25.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 SEK 15.20

$1.15 COP 3,694

34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 SEK 9.73

$1.24 COP 4,009

-20.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 SEK 71.3

$3.96 COP 12.8K

83.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 SEK 100

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-25.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 SEK 15.07

$1.66 COP 5,352

-7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SEK 19.26

$2.26 COP 7,281

-13.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 SEK 32.18

$1.17 COP 3,766

180.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 SEK 776

$77.4 COP 249.5K

2.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 SEK 59.2

$1.27 COP 4,089

374.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 SEK 15.16

$2.05 COP 6,603

-24.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$77.4 SEK 760

$8.55 COP 27.6K

805.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.28

$1.35 COP 4,343

30.37%

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

$33.2K SEK 325.6K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-2.61%

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

$33.8K SEK 331.6K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-2.53%

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

$50.1 SEK 491

$170 COP 547.0K

-70.49%

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

$20.16 SEK 198

$13.55 COP 43.7K

48.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.59 SEK 389

$28.07 COP 90.5K

41.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.16 SEK 365

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-14.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.37 SEK 259

$17.19 COP 55.4K

53.40%

Cinema Ticket

$12.93 SEK 127

$6.91 COP 22.3K

87.12%

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

$121 SEK 1,189

$797 COP 2.6M

-84.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,046 SEK 49.5K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-44.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 SEK 679

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-18.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.93 SEK 97.4

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-82.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 SEK 794

$135 COP 435.2K

-40.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 SEK 1,107

$97.9 COP 315.6K

15.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 SEK 7,861

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-33.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 SEK 5,982

$642 COP 2.1M

-4.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 SEK 13.4K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-32.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 SEK 10.1K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

1.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,003 SEK 39.3K

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-4.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,823 SEK 27.7K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

47.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,868 SEK 38.0K

$657 COP 2.1M

488.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

10.94

-74.41%

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

Last update for Bålsta: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bålsta

$610 39%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 5.2% $32

Groceries & Markets

Bålsta

$299 19.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 0.6% $1.8

Eating Out

Bålsta

$253 16.2%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 32.9% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Bålsta

$123 7.9%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 37.6% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bålsta

$110 7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 92.4% $101

Getting Around

Bålsta

$106 6.8%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 11.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Bålsta

$63 4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 8.7% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Bålsta and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays about 5.9 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Bålsta vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $297 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:50 1:50 AM

19:50 7:50 PM

6 h behind Bålsta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,138

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bålsta Medellin 9,580 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Bålsta
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

Bålsta vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bålsta wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bålsta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Bålsta is about 5.9 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Bålsta versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,563 per month in Bålsta versus $1,639 in Medellin – Bålsta is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $67 in Bålsta. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Bålsta is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.