Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,949 in Lund versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,033 in Lund versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,117 in Lund versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Lund is roughly 92% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lund is 45% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 SEK 116

$5.99 COP 21.4K

107.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 SEK 799

$32.86 COP 117.4K

160.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 SEK 112

$7.09 COP 25.3K

68.97%

Cappuccino

$5.01 SEK 46.78

$1.71 COP 6,115

192.98%

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

$2.83 SEK 26.39

$1.10 COP 3,924

157.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.33

$0.78 COP 2,781

165.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 SEK 77.2

$1.68 COP 5,997

392.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.53 SEK 70.3

$3.07 COP 11.0K

145.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 SEK 15.11

$1.09 COP 3,906

48.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 SEK 20.80

$1.26 COP 4,508

76.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 SEK 27.24

$1.38 COP 4,922

111.59%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 41.20

$2.19 COP 7,827

101.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 SEK 120

$4.40 COP 15.7K

192.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 SEK 106

$5.63 COP 20.1K

102.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 SEK 162

$8.89 COP 31.8K

95.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 29.89

$2.34 COP 8,349

36.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 26.99

$1.06 COP 3,777

172.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.05

$1.50 COP 5,374

93.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 SEK 41.23

$1.38 COP 4,924

220.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 15.61

$1.15 COP 4,111

45.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 SEK 15.23

$1.16 COP 4,155

40.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 SEK 24.52

$0.89 COP 3,182

195.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SEK 12.01

$0.84 COP 2,997

53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 SEK 75.6

$2.28 COP 8,145

255.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 SEK 111

$10.64 COP 38.0K

11.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 18.99

$1.20 COP 4,284

70.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 20.04

$2.47 COP 8,824

-12.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 31.92

$0.86 COP 3,056

297.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 SEK 627

$41.40 COP 147.9K

62.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 SEK 50.4

$1.47 COP 5,264

267.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SEK 17.74

$1.96 COP 7,009

-3.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.6 SEK 584

$7.74 COP 27.6K

708.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 SEK 18.44

$0.95 COP 3,409

108.42%

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

$32.8K SEK 306.3K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

81.05%

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

$34.3K SEK 319.9K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

29.44%

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

$123 SEK 1,148

$82.3 COP 293.7K

49.54%

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

$28.49 SEK 266

$9.50 COP 33.9K

199.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.60 SEK 388

$24.23 COP 86.5K

71.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 SEK 366

$25.89 COP 92.4K

51.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.29 SEK 227

$19.00 COP 67.9K

27.84%

Cinema Ticket

$17.86 SEK 167

$3.93 COP 14.0K

354.45%

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

$176 SEK 1,638

$309 COP 1.1M

-43.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,218 SEK 39.4K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-29.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 SEK 738

$58.7 COP 209.5K

34.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 SEK 563

$32.35 COP 115.5K

86.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 971

$103 COP 366.4K

1.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 SEK 1,187

$108 COP 387.2K

17.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 SEK 9,054

$476 COP 1.7M

103.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 SEK 7,060

$379 COP 1.4M

99.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 SEK 15.3K

$838 COP 3.0M

96.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 SEK 12.3K

$724 COP 2.6M

81.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,660 SEK 62.1K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

138.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,858 SEK 36.0K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

218.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,140 SEK 29.3K

$512 COP 1.8M

513.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

13.43

-64.26%

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

Last update for Lund: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Lund and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 513% 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: $86.0 in Lund vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 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

Lund vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 92% lower than in Lund. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lund pays 513% 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: $970 in Lund versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,949 per month in Lund versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 62% less than in Lund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,949 in Lund, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lund. 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, Lund 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 92% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.