Cost of Living Comparison Between Kista and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kista and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,810 per month in Kista vs $1,641 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,845 per month in Kista vs $2,447 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,880 per month in Kista vs $3,253 in Medellin, rent included.

Kista costs about 10% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Kista and Medellin sit above the global median – Kista by 31%, Medellin by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.79 SEK 134

$8.04 COP 24.8K

71.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 SEK 755

$48.29 COP 148.6K

61.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 SEK 102

$9.42 COP 29.0K

11.68%

Cappuccino

$4.82 SEK 46.77

$2.94 COP 9,040

63.95%

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

$2.79 SEK 27.05

$1.86 COP 5,735

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 22.47

$1.46 COP 4,479

58.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 SEK 78.9

$3.21 COP 9,882

153.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 SEK 80.4

$5.71 COP 17.6K

45.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 17.31

$1.44 COP 4,428

24.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 SEK 28.43

$2.40 COP 7,389

22.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 SEK 39.87

$1.70 COP 5,228

141.76%

Eggs

$5.05 SEK 48.92

$2.89 COP 8,896

74.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 SEK 118

$10.06 COP 30.9K

20.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.58 SEK 122

$9.97 COP 30.7K

26.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 SEK 156

$14.20 COP 43.7K

13.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 SEK 27.09

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-29.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 SEK 25.05

$1.58 COP 4,878

63.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 SEK 34.52

$2.15 COP 6,624

65.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 SEK 41.63

$2.30 COP 7,078

86.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 SEK 17.29

$2.00 COP 6,169

-11.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 SEK 14.68

$1.51 COP 4,646

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 SEK 20.12

$1.20 COP 3,701

73.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 SEK 13.84

$1.28 COP 3,946

11.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.53 SEK 73.0

$3.84 COP 11.8K

96.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 SEK 111

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-18.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SEK 19.42

$1.71 COP 5,256

16.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 SEK 22.72

$2.74 COP 8,440

-14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.41 SEK 33.01

$1.25 COP 3,834

172.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.5 SEK 770

$77.9 COP 239.7K

2.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 SEK 62.9

$1.31 COP 4,016

395.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 SEK 18.16

$2.17 COP 6,680

-13.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.5 SEK 577

$8.29 COP 25.5K

618.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.45

$1.36 COP 4,172

32.35%

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

$30.2K SEK 292.8K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

9.96%

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

$34.0K SEK 329.4K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-6.99%

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

$107 SEK 1,038

$169 COP 519.2K

-36.53%

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

$27.69 SEK 268

$13.57 COP 41.8K

104.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.99 SEK 388

$28.32 COP 87.2K

41.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.75 SEK 385

$45.71 COP 140.7K

-13.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.64 SEK 249

$17.22 COP 53.0K

48.90%

Cinema Ticket

$16.83 SEK 163

$6.65 COP 20.5K

153.08%

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

$150 SEK 1,456

$803 COP 2.5M

-81.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,803 SEK 46.6K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

-47.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 SEK 823

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-2.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.03 SEK 427

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-25.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 SEK 965

$139 COP 427.5K

-28.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 SEK 1,334

$102 COP 314.0K

34.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 SEK 7,414

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-28.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 SEK 5,425

$653 COP 2.0M

-14.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 SEK 12.7K

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-31.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 SEK 11.4K

$1,048 COP 3.2M

11.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,131 SEK 40.0K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

0.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,897 SEK 28.1K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

70.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

10.94

-68.74%

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

Last update for Kista: September 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $765 in Kista 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Kista versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 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

Kista vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kista costs about 10% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,715 per month in Kista 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,810 in Kista and $1,641 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 2% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Kista at $1,810. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kista it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,641 versus $1,810 in Kista. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Kista makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.