Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 100% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gothenburg is 54% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$6.16 COP 20.1K

123.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 883

$32.60 COP 106.1K

179.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$7.34 COP 23.9K

41.96%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 47.02

$1.72 COP 5,599

182.56%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.79

$1.05 COP 3,420

193.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.81

$0.77 COP 2,515

232.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.9

$1.69 COP 5,487

339.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.7

$3.17 COP 10.3K

143.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.02

$1.05 COP 3,423

67.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.83

$1.30 COP 4,236

120.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.35

$1.40 COP 4,544

138.57%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.87

$2.16 COP 7,046

114.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$4.39 COP 14.3K

165.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$5.88 COP 19.1K

111.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 181

$8.64 COP 28.1K

115.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.77

$2.28 COP 7,425

34.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.60

$1.11 COP 3,603

137.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.35

$1.53 COP 4,982

91.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.74

$1.35 COP 4,410

219.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.99

$1.13 COP 3,674

55.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.13

$1.13 COP 3,692

65.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.45

$0.85 COP 2,753

161.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.40

$0.91 COP 2,975

74.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.9

$2.34 COP 7,629

239.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 139

$12.37 COP 40.3K

16.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.29

$1.20 COP 3,909

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.48

$2.49 COP 8,104

1.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 38.00

$0.84 COP 2,727

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 880

$40.57 COP 132.1K

124.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 98.4

$1.42 COP 4,623

615.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.12

$1.92 COP 6,235

-13.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 596

$7.66 COP 24.9K

703.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.98

$0.99 COP 3,223

97.98%

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

$32.2K SEK 311.6K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

78.48%

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

$35.6K SEK 344.3K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

33.54%

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

$140 SEK 1,358

$80.8 COP 263.1K

73.63%

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

$25.00 SEK 242

$9.95 COP 32.4K

151.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 373

$24.18 COP 78.7K

59.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 401

$25.08 COP 81.6K

64.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 240

$19.15 COP 62.3K

29.56%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 175

$3.98 COP 13.0K

353.27%

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

$178 SEK 1,722

$305 COP 993.4K

-41.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-31.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 867

$58.1 COP 189.2K

54.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 381

$32.20 COP 104.8K

22.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 923

$101 COP 327.9K

-5.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,477

$108 COP 350.8K

41.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$477 COP 1.6M

130.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,328

$376 COP 1.2M

128.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.2K

$845 COP 2.7M

122.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

$730 COP 2.4M

92.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.9K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

101.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

$1,372 COP 4.5M

155.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

$617 COP 2.0M

482.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

13.43

-67.76%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 482% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $91.0 in Gothenburg vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $193 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Gothenburg vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 100% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 482% higher in Gothenburg, 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: $1,096 in Gothenburg versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,063 in Gothenburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.