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: $2,066 in Gothenburg versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,137 in Gothenburg versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,208 in Gothenburg versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 23% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 51% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 SEK 133

$8.02 COP 25.0K

67.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 SEK 901

$47.87 COP 149.4K

90.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 SEK 130

$9.89 COP 30.8K

32.86%

Cappuccino

$4.97 SEK 48.93

$3.13 COP 9,767

58.79%

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

$3.02 SEK 29.77

$1.91 COP 5,954

58.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.93

$1.51 COP 4,712

47.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 SEK 67.8

$3.12 COP 9,747

120.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 SEK 74.4

$5.75 COP 17.9K

31.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.07

$1.44 COP 4,509

20.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 SEK 26.78

$2.49 COP 7,759

9.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.32

$1.77 COP 5,535

79.66%

Eggs

$3.94 SEK 38.82

$2.96 COP 9,235

33.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 SEK 117

$10.07 COP 31.4K

18.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 SEK 115

$10.12 COP 31.6K

15.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 SEK 166

$14.30 COP 44.6K

17.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 31.51

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-22.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 25.34

$1.61 COP 5,019

59.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.40

$2.25 COP 7,007

36.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 41.82

$2.25 COP 7,028

88.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 18.24

$2.04 COP 6,375

-9.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SEK 16.29

$1.54 COP 4,790

7.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 SEK 19.51

$1.17 COP 3,651

69.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SEK 17.01

$1.31 COP 4,077

32.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.36 SEK 82.4

$3.90 COP 12.2K

114.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 SEK 141

$14.01 COP 43.7K

1.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 20.38

$1.74 COP 5,439

18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.96

$2.87 COP 8,956

-22.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 SEK 36.89

$1.22 COP 3,792

206.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 867

$80.5 COP 251.1K

9.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 SEK 61.3

$1.31 COP 4,084

374.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.82

$2.19 COP 6,825

-21.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.3 SEK 594

$8.71 COP 27.2K

592.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.99

$1.37 COP 4,260

33.58%

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

$33.4K SEK 329.0K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

19.93%

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

$34.8K SEK 342.7K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-2.78%

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

$107 SEK 1,057

$177 COP 553.2K

-39.50%

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

$19.22 SEK 189

$13.88 COP 43.3K

38.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.96 SEK 354

$29.72 COP 92.8K

21.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.06 SEK 365

$44.88 COP 140.1K

-17.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 SEK 249

$17.12 COP 53.4K

47.31%

Cinema Ticket

$19.54 SEK 193

$6.65 COP 20.7K

193.83%

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

$229 SEK 2,253

$813 COP 2.5M

-71.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,474 SEK 44.1K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

-51.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 SEK 879

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-0.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 SEK 327

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-43.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 SEK 919

$138 COP 431.2K

-32.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 SEK 1,308

$102 COP 318.7K

29.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-1.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 SEK 9,380

$663 COP 2.1M

43.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

$1,888 COP 5.9M

-1.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 SEK 13.9K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

37.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,398 SEK 63.1K

$4,183 COP 13.1M

52.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,571 SEK 35.2K

$1,675 COP 5.2M

113.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,625 SEK 35.7K

$678 COP 2.1M

434.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

10.94

-72.03%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,045 in Gothenburg and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 435% 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 $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $305 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 23% 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 435% 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: $1,045 in Gothenburg versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $229 in Gothenburg versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,066 in Gothenburg, a $2,500 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 $1,681 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 23% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.