Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gavle and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Gavle: $1,439 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

69

Cost of Living Index in Gavle
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Gavle Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Gavle

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,439

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,439 in Gavle versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Gavle $1,439
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Gavle versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Gavle $2,286
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,134 in Gavle versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Gavle $3,134
Medellin $3,199

Living in Gavle costs roughly 11% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gavle 6% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 SEK 136

$8.30 COP 26.3K

64.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 SEK 786

$46.91 COP 148.7K

69.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.31 SEK 92.2

$9.24 COP 29.3K

0.76%

Cappuccino

$4.42 SEK 43.79

$3.05 COP 9,676

44.92%

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

$2.07 SEK 20.51

$1.80 COP 5,707

15.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 SEK 18.95

$1.38 COP 4,382

38.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 SEK 77.2

$3.24 COP 10.3K

140.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.75 SEK 76.8

$5.56 COP 17.6K

39.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SEK 16.12

$1.50 COP 4,760

8.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 SEK 25.84

$2.37 COP 7,508

10.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 SEK 36.95

$1.70 COP 5,377

119.41%

Eggs

$3.81 SEK 37.80

$2.96 COP 9,379

28.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 SEK 90.4

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-10.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.29 SEK 102

$9.74 COP 30.9K

5.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 SEK 186

$13.90 COP 44.1K

34.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 SEK 30.25

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-26.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 27.16

$1.53 COP 4,839

79.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 SEK 32.43

$2.22 COP 7,052

47.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 SEK 43.07

$2.27 COP 7,194

91.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 SEK 17.12

$1.99 COP 6,311

-13.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.99

$1.67 COP 5,285

8.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 25.26

$1.18 COP 3,742

116.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 20.35

$1.24 COP 3,919

65.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.99 SEK 79.1

$3.87 COP 12.3K

106.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 SEK 110

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SEK 16.23

$1.66 COP 5,256

-1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 15.34

$2.40 COP 7,615

-35.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 SEK 32.22

$1.24 COP 3,944

162.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.4 SEK 598

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-22.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 SEK 44.83

$1.28 COP 4,044

253.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 SEK 15.16

$2.15 COP 6,803

-28.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.87 SEK 336

$8.37 COP 26.5K

304.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.90

$1.35 COP 4,288

34.07%

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

$25.8K SEK 255.2K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-25.91%

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

$28.1K SEK 278.1K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-19.07%

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

$55.6 SEK 551

$167 COP 528.4K

-66.62%

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

$21.93 SEK 217

$13.62 COP 43.2K

61.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.60 SEK 392

$29.12 COP 92.3K

35.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.32 SEK 469

$45.09 COP 143.0K

4.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 SEK 151

$6.97 COP 22.1K

118.36%

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

$133 SEK 1,321

$790 COP 2.5M

-83.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K SEK 151.1K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

68.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 SEK 699

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-19.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 SEK 583

$58.2 COP 184.4K

1.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.9 SEK 505

$139 COP 440.7K

-63.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 SEK 887

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-9.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 SEK 5,738

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-43.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 SEK 4,208

$620 COP 2.0M

-31.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 SEK 7,546

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-59.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 SEK 6,593

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-33.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,945 SEK 19.3K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-51.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,333 SEK 13.2K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-21.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,144 SEK 31.1K

$663 COP 2.1M

373.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

10.94

-69.20%

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

Last update for Gavle: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gavle

$425 29.5%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 45.9% $195

Groceries & Markets

Gavle

$351 24.4%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 15.2% $53

Eating Out

Gavle

$261 18.1%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 34.5% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Gavle

$121 8.4%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 42.3% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gavle

$117 8.1%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 78.7% $92

Getting Around

Gavle

$86 6%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 11.2% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Gavle

$78 5.4%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 24.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $579 in Gavle and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 374% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Gavle vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Gavle

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

01:05 1:05 AM

7 h behind Gavle

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gavle Medellin 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Gavle
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

Gavle vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gavle and Medellin differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,439 vs $1,625 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 374% higher in Gavle, 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: $579 in Gavle versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gavle runs roughly 30% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $133 in Gavle versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,439 in Gavle versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gavle but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Gavle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Gavle and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gavle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.