Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kista and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,724 in Kista, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Kista despite lower rent and utilities.

Kista, Sweden
Medellin, Colombia
Kista
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,724
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,724 per month in Kista vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Kista $1,724
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,694 per month in Kista vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Kista $2,694
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,664 per month in Kista vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Kista $3,664
  • Medellin $3,186

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kista
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.46 SEK 134
$8.09 COP 25.4K
66.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.2 SEK 746
$47.05 COP 148.0K
59.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.13 SEK 101
$9.50 COP 29.9K
6.63%
Cappuccino
$4.56 SEK 45.29
$3.01 COP 9,485
51.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 SEK 26.57
$1.80 COP 5,660
48.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 SEK 21.73
$1.41 COP 4,443
55.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.96 SEK 69.2
$3.18 COP 9,990
118.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.00 SEK 69.5
$5.75 COP 18.1K
21.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kista
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 SEK 16.29
$1.51 COP 4,751
8.61%
White Bread (500g)
$2.75 SEK 27.30
$2.38 COP 7,480
15.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.44 SEK 34.14
$1.77 COP 5,573
94.35%
Eggs
$4.01 SEK 39.83
$2.89 COP 9,093
38.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.21 SEK 121
$10.19 COP 32.1K
19.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.11 SEK 120
$9.87 COP 31.1K
22.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.14 SEK 170
$13.99 COP 44.0K
22.52%
Apples (1kg)
$3.03 SEK 30.06
$3.97 COP 12.5K
-23.68%
Banana (1kg)
$2.52 SEK 25.01
$1.55 COP 4,883
62.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.90 SEK 28.81
$2.18 COP 6,867
33.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.36 SEK 43.34
$2.18 COP 6,870
100.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 SEK 16.03
$1.96 COP 6,174
-17.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 SEK 16.12
$1.59 COP 5,000
1.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.28 SEK 22.67
$1.15 COP 3,604
98.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 SEK 14.42
$1.24 COP 3,911
16.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.27 SEK 72.3
$3.96 COP 12.5K
83.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.93 SEK 98.6
$13.68 COP 43.0K
-27.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 SEK 19.31
$1.66 COP 5,221
16.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 SEK 22.81
$2.26 COP 7,103
1.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Kista
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.25 SEK 32.30
$1.17 COP 3,674
177.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.1 SEK 775
$77.4 COP 243.4K
0.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.10 SEK 60.6
$1.27 COP 3,989
380.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.69 SEK 16.75
$2.05 COP 6,442
-17.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$58.9 SEK 585
$8.55 COP 26.9K
589.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 SEK 17.78
$1.35 COP 4,237
32.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.7K SEK 324.9K
$34.1K COP 107.2M
-3.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K SEK 335.9K
$34.7K COP 109.1M
-2.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kista
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 SEK 1,031
$170 COP 533.7K
-38.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.86 SEK 257
$13.55 COP 42.6K
90.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.31 SEK 390
$28.07 COP 88.3K
40.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kista
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.24 SEK 370
$43.70 COP 137.5K
-14.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.02 SEK 258
$17.19 COP 54.1K
51.37%
Cinema Ticket
$16.08 SEK 160
$6.91 COP 21.7K
132.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kista
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$159 SEK 1,583
$797 COP 2.5M
-79.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,088 SEK 50.5K
$9,112 COP 28.7M
-44.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kista
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$98.4 SEK 977
$84.7 COP 266.5K
16.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.15 SEK 399
$58.0 COP 182.3K
-30.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.7 SEK 910
$135 COP 424.6K
-32.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 SEK 1,393
$97.9 COP 307.9K
43.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kista
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$795 SEK 7,893
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-34.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$598 SEK 5,937
$642 COP 2.0M
-6.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,370 SEK 13.6K
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-32.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,001 SEK 9,945
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-1.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,976 SEK 39.5K
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-4.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,847 SEK 28.3K
$1,910 COP 6.0M
49.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kista
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$657 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.37
10.94
-69.20%

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

Last update for Kista: 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
Kista
$598
Medellin
$642 7.3% $44
Groceries & Markets
Kista
$355
Medellin
$297 16.3% $58
Eating Out
Kista
$261
Medellin
$170 35% $91
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kista
$169
Medellin
$211 25% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Kista
$167
Medellin
$169 1.4% $2.3
Getting Around
Kista
$106
Medellin
$94 11.4% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Kista
$69
Medellin
$58 17.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $795 in Kista 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Kista versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $355 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Kista
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
19:49 7:49 PM
13:49 1:49 PM
6 h behind Kista
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,254
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.93 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.06 SEK (100 SEK = 9.05 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kista Medellin 9,610 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kista
  • 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
Kista vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kista or Medellin?
Kista costs about 5% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kista and in Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,587 per month in Kista and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Kista or Medellin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kista, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $795 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
How do dining costs compare in Kista and in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Kista and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Kista or in Medellin?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Kista, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Kista or in Medellin?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,724 in Kista and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kista or Medellin?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $1,724 in Kista. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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