Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,885 in Lulea versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,023 in Lulea versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,161 in Lulea versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Lulea is roughly 86% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lulea is 41% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.89 SEK 120

$5.99 COP 21.4K

115.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 SEK 875

$32.86 COP 117.4K

185.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 SEK 112

$7.09 COP 25.3K

69.39%

Cappuccino

$4.65 SEK 43.39

$1.71 COP 6,115

171.93%

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

$2.56 SEK 23.88

$1.10 COP 3,924

132.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SEK 19.25

$0.78 COP 2,781

164.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SEK 78.9

$1.68 COP 5,997

403.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 SEK 93.2

$3.07 COP 11.0K

225.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.02

$1.09 COP 3,906

77.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 SEK 33.15

$1.26 COP 4,508

181.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.02 SEK 46.86

$1.38 COP 4,922

263.77%

Eggs

$4.95 SEK 46.21

$2.19 COP 7,827

126.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 120

$4.40 COP 15.7K

193.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.97 SEK 130

$5.63 COP 20.1K

148.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.38 SEK 255

$8.89 COP 31.8K

207.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 SEK 25.13

$2.34 COP 8,349

14.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 SEK 26.15

$1.06 COP 3,777

164.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.49

$1.50 COP 5,374

74.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 SEK 42.17

$1.38 COP 4,924

227.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 SEK 20.33

$1.15 COP 4,111

89.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 15.26

$1.16 COP 4,155

41.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.42 SEK 31.88

$0.89 COP 3,182

284.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SEK 13.53

$0.84 COP 2,997

72.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.45 SEK 69.5

$2.28 COP 8,145

226.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 SEK 118

$10.64 COP 38.0K

18.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SEK 17.10

$1.20 COP 4,284

52.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 SEK 16.77

$2.47 COP 8,824

-27.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.39

$0.86 COP 3,056

290.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 SEK 561

$41.40 COP 147.9K

45.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.53 SEK 88.9

$1.47 COP 5,264

548.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.00

$1.96 COP 7,009

-12.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.1 SEK 700

$7.74 COP 27.6K

869.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.60

$0.95 COP 3,409

98.95%

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

$32.0K SEK 298.4K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

76.38%

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

$34.9K SEK 325.5K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

31.71%

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

$174 SEK 1,627

$82.3 COP 293.7K

112.06%

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

$33.07 SEK 309

$9.50 COP 33.9K

248.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.42 SEK 265

$24.23 COP 86.5K

17.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.17 SEK 459

$25.89 COP 92.4K

89.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.67 SEK 342

$19.00 COP 67.9K

93.00%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 SEK 128

$3.93 COP 14.0K

249.87%

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

$159 SEK 1,481

$309 COP 1.1M

-48.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,764 SEK 53.8K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-3.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 SEK 1,168

$58.7 COP 209.5K

113.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.73 SEK 315

$32.35 COP 115.5K

4.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,175

$103 COP 366.4K

22.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 SEK 1,605

$108 COP 387.2K

58.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,376

$476 COP 1.7M

66.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 SEK 5,395

$379 COP 1.4M

52.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 SEK 13.2K

$838 COP 3.0M

68.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 SEK 9,824

$724 COP 2.6M

45.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,337 SEK 31.1K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

19.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,379 SEK 22.2K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

96.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,732 SEK 25.5K

$512 COP 1.8M

433.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

13.43

-68.73%

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

Last update for Lulea: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $791 in Lulea and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 434% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $94.0 in Lulea vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $428 vs $188 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Lulea vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Lulea. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lulea pays 434% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $791 in Lulea versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 127% higher in Lulea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $94.0 in Lulea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,885 in Lulea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lulea. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lulea and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Lulea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.