Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,008 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,008

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,008 in Gothenburg versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Gothenburg $2,008
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,067 in Gothenburg versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Gothenburg $3,067
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,127 in Gothenburg versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Gothenburg $4,127
Medellin $3,186

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 22% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 48% 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

$86.7 SEK 851

$47.05 COP 151.7K

84.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.40 SEK 122

$9.50 COP 30.6K

30.53%

Cappuccino

$5.04 SEK 49.48

$3.01 COP 9,722

67.44%

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

$2.99 SEK 29.31

$1.80 COP 5,801

66.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 SEK 22.89

$1.41 COP 4,554

65.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 SEK 67.5

$3.18 COP 10.2K

116.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 SEK 74.3

$5.75 COP 18.5K

31.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.97

$1.51 COP 4,869

14.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 SEK 27.36

$2.38 COP 7,667

17.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 SEK 31.97

$1.77 COP 5,712

84.18%

Eggs

$3.90 SEK 38.26

$2.89 COP 9,320

34.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 SEK 110

$10.19 COP 32.9K

10.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.57 SEK 114

$9.87 COP 31.8K

17.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.43 SEK 161

$13.99 COP 45.1K

17.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 SEK 29.54

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-24.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 SEK 24.06

$1.55 COP 5,005

58.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 28.48

$2.18 COP 7,039

33.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 SEK 44.09

$2.18 COP 7,041

105.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 SEK 17.95

$1.96 COP 6,328

-6.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 16.36

$1.59 COP 5,125

5.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 SEK 20.11

$1.15 COP 3,694

78.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SEK 15.72

$1.24 COP 4,009

29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.35 SEK 81.9

$3.96 COP 12.8K

110.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 SEK 149

$13.68 COP 44.1K

10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 20.04

$1.66 COP 5,352

22.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 22.12

$2.26 COP 7,281

-0.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 SEK 37.56

$1.17 COP 3,766

227.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.4 SEK 848

$77.4 COP 249.5K

11.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 SEK 60.9

$1.27 COP 4,089

388.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.37

$2.05 COP 6,603

-18.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.2 SEK 581

$8.55 COP 27.6K

592.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.20

$1.35 COP 4,343

29.63%

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

$33.4K SEK 327.9K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-1.92%

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

$33.8K SEK 331.7K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-2.52%

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

$104 SEK 1,017

$170 COP 547.0K

-38.92%

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

$19.70 SEK 193

$13.55 COP 43.7K

45.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.35 SEK 337

$28.07 COP 90.5K

22.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.01 SEK 334

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-22.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.39 SEK 239

$17.19 COP 55.4K

41.88%

Cinema Ticket

$16.98 SEK 167

$6.91 COP 22.3K

145.73%

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

$222 SEK 2,180

$797 COP 2.6M

-72.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,336 SEK 42.6K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-52.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 SEK 870

$84.7 COP 273.2K

4.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.91 SEK 323

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-43.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 SEK 861

$135 COP 435.2K

-34.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 SEK 1,315

$97.9 COP 315.6K

36.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 SEK 10.9K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-8.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 SEK 8,575

$642 COP 2.1M

36.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 SEK 18.3K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-8.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 SEK 13.7K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

38.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,415 SEK 63.0K

$4,170 COP 13.4M

53.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,026 SEK 39.5K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

110.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,521 SEK 34.6K

$657 COP 2.1M

435.85%

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: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gothenburg

$874 43.5%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 26.6% $232

Groceries & Markets

Gothenburg

$360 17.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 17.5% $63

Eating Out

Gothenburg

$278 13.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 39% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gothenburg

$158 7.9%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 34% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Gothenburg

$155 7.7%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 9.3% $14

Getting Around

Gothenburg

$116 5.8%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 19.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Gothenburg

$68 3.4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 15.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Gothenburg and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays about 5.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $87 in Gothenburg vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $297 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

18:12 6:12 PM

6 h behind Gothenburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

607,882

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 1, 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 1, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gothenburg Medellin 9,270 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Gothenburg
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

Gothenburg vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 18% 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 in Gothenburg is about 5.4 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: $1,107 in Gothenburg versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Gothenburg versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Medellin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Gothenburg on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.