Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karlstad and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,727 in Karlstad, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Karlstad despite lower rent and utilities.

83

Cost of Living Index in Karlstad
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Karlstad Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Karlstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,727

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,727 per month in Karlstad vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Karlstad $1,727
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,665 per month in Karlstad vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Karlstad $2,665
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,603 per month in Karlstad vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Karlstad $3,603
Medellin $3,186

Karlstad costs about 5% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Karlstad and Medellin sit above the global median – Karlstad by 27%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.14 SEK 149

$8.09 COP 26.1K

87.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 SEK 791

$47.05 COP 151.9K

71.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 SEK 98.9

$9.50 COP 30.7K

6.00%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 47.71

$3.01 COP 9,735

61.46%

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

$2.45 SEK 24.02

$1.80 COP 5,809

36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 SEK 21.26

$1.41 COP 4,561

53.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 SEK 79.3

$3.18 COP 10.3K

154.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 SEK 64.8

$5.75 COP 18.6K

14.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 SEK 14.23

$1.51 COP 4,876

-3.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 SEK 27.82

$2.38 COP 7,678

18.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 SEK 36.16

$1.77 COP 5,720

107.91%

Eggs

$4.37 SEK 42.88

$2.89 COP 9,333

51.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 SEK 99.9

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-0.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.96 SEK 137

$9.87 COP 31.9K

41.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.73 SEK 174

$13.99 COP 45.2K

26.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 SEK 28.93

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-25.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 SEK 26.36

$1.55 COP 5,012

72.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 SEK 29.73

$2.18 COP 7,048

38.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 SEK 53.0

$2.18 COP 7,051

147.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 SEK 18.81

$1.96 COP 6,337

-2.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 16.85

$1.59 COP 5,132

8.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 SEK 25.89

$1.15 COP 3,699

129.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 SEK 12.75

$1.24 COP 4,014

4.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.96 SEK 68.3

$3.96 COP 12.8K

75.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 SEK 99.9

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-25.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 SEK 23.81

$1.66 COP 5,359

45.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 19.99

$2.26 COP 7,291

-9.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 SEK 30.72

$1.17 COP 3,771

167.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.4 SEK 789

$77.4 COP 249.8K

3.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 SEK 53.6

$1.27 COP 4,094

329.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 SEK 12.68

$2.05 COP 6,612

-37.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 SEK 593

$8.55 COP 27.6K

606.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.91

$1.35 COP 4,349

27.41%

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

$32.6K SEK 320.6K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-4.17%

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

$33.8K SEK 331.4K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-2.65%

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

$99.4 SEK 976

$170 COP 547.8K

-41.42%

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

$15.73 SEK 154

$13.55 COP 43.8K

16.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.76 SEK 430

$28.07 COP 90.6K

55.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.27 SEK 445

$43.70 COP 141.1K

3.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.66 SEK 164

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-3.08%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 SEK 138

$6.91 COP 22.3K

103.76%

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

$126 SEK 1,237

$797 COP 2.6M

-84.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 SEK 1,038

$84.7 COP 273.5K

24.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.85 SEK 391

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-31.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.9 SEK 745

$135 COP 435.8K

-43.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 SEK 1,385

$97.9 COP 316.0K

44.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 SEK 8,524

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-28.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 SEK 5,642

$642 COP 2.1M

-10.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 SEK 11.6K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-41.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$867 SEK 8,510

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-14.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,849 SEK 37.8K

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-7.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,779 SEK 27.3K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

45.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,203 SEK 31.4K

$657 COP 2.1M

387.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.09

10.94

-62.61%

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

Last update for Karlstad: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Karlstad

$575 33.3%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 11.7% $67

Groceries & Markets

Karlstad

$370 21.4%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 19.8% $73

Eating Out

Karlstad

$282 16.3%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 39.8% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Karlstad

$163 9.5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 3.6% $5.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karlstad

$159 9.2%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 33% $52

Getting Around

Karlstad

$105 6.1%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 10.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Karlstad

$73 4.3%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 21.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $868 in Karlstad versus $1,208 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 in Karlstad are about 4.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Karlstad versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $370 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Karlstad

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:23 6:23 AM

00:23 12:23 AM

6 h behind Karlstad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,797

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karlstad Medellin 9,360 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Karlstad
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

Karlstad vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Karlstad is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,590 per month in Karlstad and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karlstad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $868 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Karlstad and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,727 in Karlstad and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 5% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,727 in Karlstad and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,727 in Karlstad. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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