Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsingborg and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $1,723 in Helsingborg, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Helsingborg despite lower rent and utilities.

82

Cost of Living Index in Helsingborg
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Helsingborg Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Helsingborg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,723

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,723 per month in Helsingborg vs $1,589 in Medellin, rent included.

Helsingborg $1,723
Medellin $1,589

A couple spends around $2,599 per month in Helsingborg vs $2,364 in Medellin, rent included.

Helsingborg $2,599
Medellin $2,364

A family of three spends $3,474 per month in Helsingborg vs $3,139 in Medellin, rent included.

Helsingborg $3,474
Medellin $3,139

Helsingborg costs about 8% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Helsingborg and Medellin sit above the global median – Helsingborg by 29%, Medellin by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.83 SEK 128

$8.01 COP 25.8K

60.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 SEK 687

$46.55 COP 149.9K

48.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.36 SEK 123

$9.43 COP 30.4K

31.07%

Cappuccino

$4.61 SEK 45.96

$2.91 COP 9,374

58.42%

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

$2.91 SEK 29.02

$1.75 COP 5,643

66.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 23.12

$1.32 COP 4,263

75.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.77 SEK 67.5

$3.13 COP 10.1K

116.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 SEK 60.7

$5.55 COP 17.9K

9.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 SEK 14.24

$1.41 COP 4,542

1.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 SEK 26.94

$2.44 COP 7,858

10.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 SEK 29.97

$1.63 COP 5,245

84.66%

Eggs

$3.86 SEK 38.50

$2.82 COP 9,084

36.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 SEK 111

$9.69 COP 31.2K

15.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.95 SEK 109

$9.32 COP 30.0K

17.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.75 SEK 147

$13.46 COP 43.3K

9.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 SEK 29.98

$4.00 COP 12.9K

-24.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 SEK 24.31

$1.48 COP 4,768

64.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 SEK 30.07

$2.12 COP 6,839

42.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 SEK 44.00

$2.25 COP 7,253

96.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 SEK 16.24

$1.91 COP 6,155

-14.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 15.15

$1.62 COP 5,214

-6.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 SEK 18.04

$1.15 COP 3,696

57.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 SEK 16.41

$1.26 COP 4,063

30.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.19 SEK 81.6

$3.82 COP 12.3K

114.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.30 SEK 92.7

$13.11 COP 42.2K

-29.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 SEK 20.28

$1.60 COP 5,136

26.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 SEK 21.53

$2.26 COP 7,263

-4.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 SEK 31.16

$1.17 COP 3,770

167.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.6 SEK 624

$75.0 COP 241.5K

-16.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 SEK 61.8

$1.27 COP 4,098

388.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 SEK 16.90

$2.05 COP 6,600

-17.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.5 SEK 593

$8.20 COP 26.4K

625.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.48

$1.27 COP 4,088

37.80%

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

$32.2K SEK 321.4K

$26.8K COP 86.2M

20.39%

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

$33.0K SEK 328.9K

$34.4K COP 110.8M

-4.10%

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

$104 SEK 1,039

$162 COP 522.3K

-35.76%

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

$19.28 SEK 192

$13.12 COP 42.3K

46.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.29 SEK 332

$28.09 COP 90.5K

18.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.67 SEK 376

$44.33 COP 142.7K

-15.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.86 SEK 218

$16.33 COP 52.6K

33.86%

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 SEK 148

$6.09 COP 19.6K

143.84%

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

$172 SEK 1,716

$764 COP 2.5M

-77.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 SEK 784

$85.0 COP 273.6K

-7.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.25 SEK 331

$57.5 COP 185.1K

-42.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 SEK 856

$132 COP 424.2K

-34.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 SEK 1,088

$95.8 COP 308.3K

13.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 SEK 8,273

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-19.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 SEK 6,299

$604 COP 1.9M

4.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 SEK 13.6K

$1,802 COP 5.8M

-24.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 SEK 10.6K

$993 COP 3.2M

6.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,047 SEK 30.4K

$3,921 COP 12.6M

-22.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,288 SEK 22.8K

$1,639 COP 5.3M

39.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,855 SEK 28.5K

$626 COP 2.0M

356.07%

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 Helsingborg: October 4, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helsingborg

$632 37.6%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 4.3% $27

Groceries & Markets

Helsingborg

$333 19.8%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 13.4% $45

Eating Out

Helsingborg

$262 15.6%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 36.5% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helsingborg

$157 9.3%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 29.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Helsingborg

$138 8.2%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 20.6% $28

Getting Around

Helsingborg

$90 5.4%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 1.6% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Helsingborg

$67 4%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 16.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Helsingborg versus $1,028 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 356% higher in Helsingborg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Helsingborg versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $288 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Helsingborg

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:26 4:26 AM

21:26 9:26 PM

7 h behind Helsingborg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,838

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.03 USD

100 SEK = 8.94 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.97 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.18 SEK (100 SEK = 8.94 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Helsingborg Medellin 9,320 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Helsingborg
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

Helsingborg vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,723 in Helsingborg, $1,589 in Medellin – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,585 per month in Helsingborg and $2,384 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $172 per month in Helsingborg and $764 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Helsingborg at $1,723. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Helsingborg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,589 in Medellin to $1,723 in Helsingborg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Helsingborg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.