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: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 103% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gothenburg is 54% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 129

$5.99 COP 21.3K

129.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 880

$32.86 COP 116.9K

185.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 97.0

$7.09 COP 25.2K

45.84%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.40

$1.71 COP 6,093

176.61%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.84

$1.10 COP 3,910

170.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.76

$0.78 COP 2,771

224.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 68.1

$1.68 COP 5,976

332.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.4

$3.07 COP 10.9K

151.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.75

$1.09 COP 3,892

54.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.75

$1.26 COP 4,492

126.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 31.11

$1.38 COP 4,905

140.58%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.63

$2.19 COP 7,799

112.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 111

$4.40 COP 15.7K

168.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$5.63 COP 20.0K

123.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 178

$8.89 COP 31.6K

113.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.07

$2.34 COP 8,319

32.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.67

$1.06 COP 3,764

158.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.25

$1.50 COP 5,355

94.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.16

$1.38 COP 4,906

202.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.58

$1.15 COP 4,097

44.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.34

$1.16 COP 4,141

59.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.33

$0.89 COP 3,170

155.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.53

$0.84 COP 2,986

84.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.3

$2.28 COP 8,116

242.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 144

$10.64 COP 37.9K

43.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.19

$1.20 COP 4,268

88.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.45

$2.47 COP 8,793

5.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.63

$0.86 COP 3,045

341.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 831

$41.40 COP 147.3K

114.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.8

$1.47 COP 5,245

587.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.56

$1.96 COP 6,984

-15.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 579

$7.74 COP 27.5K

697.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.73

$0.95 COP 3,397

98.95%

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

$32.0K SEK 300.4K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

76.67%

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

$34.5K SEK 323.3K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

30.14%

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

$138 SEK 1,299

$82.3 COP 292.7K

68.34%

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

$24.95 SEK 234

$9.50 COP 33.8K

162.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 359

$24.23 COP 86.2K

57.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 392

$25.89 COP 92.1K

61.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 237

$19.00 COP 67.6K

32.95%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 169

$3.93 COP 14.0K

357.51%

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

$175 SEK 1,646

$309 COP 1.1M

-43.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.5K

$5,965 COP 21.2M

-29.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 822

$58.7 COP 208.7K

49.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 378

$32.35 COP 115.1K

24.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 909

$103 COP 365.1K

-5.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,466

$108 COP 385.8K

44.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

$476 COP 1.7M

136.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,190

$379 COP 1.3M

130.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

$838 COP 3.0M

128.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.4K

$724 COP 2.6M

98.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.8K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

139.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.3K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

210.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

$512 COP 1.8M

672.42%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 672% 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: $94.0 in Gothenburg vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $188 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 103% 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.

Gothenburg pays 672% more on average, 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: $1,125 in Gothenburg versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,058 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 $1,013 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 103% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.