Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiruna and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiruna and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,819 per month in Kiruna vs $1,641 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,037 per month in Kiruna vs $2,447 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,255 per month in Kiruna vs $3,253 in Medellin, rent included.

Kiruna costs about 11% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Kiruna and Medellin sit above the global median – Kiruna by 32%, Medellin by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.14 SEK 137

$8.04 COP 24.8K

75.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$131 SEK 1,272

$48.29 COP 148.6K

171.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 SEK 95.8

$9.42 COP 29.0K

4.99%

Cappuccino

$4.75 SEK 46.03

$2.94 COP 9,040

61.56%

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

$2.69 SEK 26.06

$1.86 COP 5,735

44.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 SEK 21.44

$1.46 COP 4,479

51.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.15 SEK 98.4

$3.21 COP 9,882

216.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 SEK 65.4

$5.71 COP 17.6K

18.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 SEK 17.99

$1.44 COP 4,428

29.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 SEK 28.31

$2.40 COP 7,389

21.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 SEK 40.77

$1.70 COP 5,228

147.65%

Eggs

$4.15 SEK 40.27

$2.89 COP 8,896

43.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 SEK 132

$10.06 COP 30.9K

35.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 SEK 119

$9.97 COP 30.7K

23.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.35 SEK 158

$14.20 COP 43.7K

15.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 SEK 34.03

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-11.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 SEK 25.88

$1.58 COP 4,878

68.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 SEK 34.18

$2.15 COP 6,624

64.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.78

$2.30 COP 7,078

87.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 SEK 14.61

$2.00 COP 6,169

-24.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 SEK 14.85

$1.51 COP 4,646

1.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 SEK 19.99

$1.20 COP 3,701

71.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SEK 14.22

$1.28 COP 3,946

14.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.36 SEK 71.4

$3.84 COP 11.8K

91.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 SEK 114

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-16.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 SEK 20.50

$1.71 COP 5,256

23.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 SEK 22.71

$2.74 COP 8,440

-14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 32.57

$1.25 COP 3,834

168.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.3 SEK 808

$77.9 COP 239.7K

6.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 SEK 55.8

$1.31 COP 4,016

339.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 SEK 14.73

$2.17 COP 6,680

-29.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.8 SEK 647

$8.29 COP 25.5K

705.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 SEK 21.21

$1.36 COP 4,172

61.03%

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

$36.4K SEK 352.5K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

32.35%

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

$34.6K SEK 335.7K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-5.23%

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

$119 SEK 1,156

$169 COP 519.2K

-29.31%

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

$23.66 SEK 229

$13.57 COP 41.8K

74.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.25 SEK 390

$28.32 COP 87.2K

42.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.39 SEK 382

$45.71 COP 140.7K

-13.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.03 SEK 262

$17.22 COP 53.0K

56.97%

Cinema Ticket

$16.49 SEK 160

$6.65 COP 20.5K

147.97%

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

$167 SEK 1,616

$803 COP 2.5M

-79.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,598 SEK 54.3K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

-39.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 SEK 856

$87.4 COP 268.8K

1.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.00 SEK 388

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-32.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 SEK 922

$139 COP 427.5K

-31.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 SEK 1,537

$102 COP 314.0K

55.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 SEK 8,165

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-21.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 SEK 6,062

$653 COP 2.0M

-4.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 SEK 13.6K

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-26.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 SEK 10.9K

$1,048 COP 3.2M

7.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,980 SEK 38.6K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-3.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,692 SEK 26.1K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

58.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,394 SEK 32.9K

$655 COP 2.0M

418.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-63.44%

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

Last update for Kiruna: September 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $842 in Kiruna versus $1,071 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 418% higher in Kiruna, 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 $131 in Kiruna versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $374 vs $300 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Kiruna vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,819 in Kiruna, $1,641 in Medellin – roughly 11% apart. Kiruna costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,728 per month in Kiruna and $2,462 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.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Kiruna, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $131 in Kiruna and $48.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Kiruna at $1,819. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kiruna 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 $1,641 in Medellin to $1,819 in Kiruna. 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, Kiruna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.