Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,754 in Lund, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Lund despite lower rent and utilities.

85

Cost of Living Index in Lund
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Lund Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Lund

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,754

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,754 in Lund versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Lund $1,754
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,901 in Lund versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Lund $2,901
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,049 in Lund versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Lund $4,049
Medellin $3,190

Living in Lund is roughly 9% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lund 30% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.84 SEK 127

$7.93 COP 25.2K

61.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 SEK 883

$46.13 COP 146.3K

93.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 SEK 118

$9.50 COP 30.1K

25.37%

Cappuccino

$4.78 SEK 47.40

$3.11 COP 9,866

53.70%

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

$2.80 SEK 27.72

$1.83 COP 5,800

53.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 20.18

$1.38 COP 4,360

47.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.74 SEK 76.7

$3.05 COP 9,672

153.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 SEK 67.5

$5.50 COP 17.4K

24.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SEK 16.76

$1.45 COP 4,600

16.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SEK 25.28

$2.36 COP 7,496

8.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 SEK 33.66

$1.68 COP 5,328

102.38%

Eggs

$4.54 SEK 45.03

$2.86 COP 9,077

58.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.29 SEK 122

$10.19 COP 32.3K

20.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 SEK 114

$9.53 COP 30.2K

20.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.45 SEK 153

$14.04 COP 44.5K

10.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 SEK 30.62

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-24.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 SEK 25.60

$1.50 COP 4,742

72.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 SEK 27.71

$2.17 COP 6,891

29.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 SEK 45.94

$2.31 COP 7,310

100.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 SEK 16.82

$1.93 COP 6,113

-11.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 SEK 14.08

$1.64 COP 5,196

-13.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 SEK 25.55

$1.13 COP 3,571

128.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 SEK 15.18

$1.25 COP 3,954

22.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 SEK 77.8

$3.99 COP 12.6K

96.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 SEK 109

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-17.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 SEK 18.26

$1.70 COP 5,384

8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 SEK 26.47

$2.37 COP 7,525

12.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 SEK 31.46

$1.21 COP 3,827

161.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.7 SEK 631

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-16.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 SEK 50.1

$1.32 COP 4,179

283.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 SEK 10.52

$2.14 COP 6,774

-50.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.70 SEK 403

$8.47 COP 26.8K

380.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.11

$1.30 COP 4,114

33.08%

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

$32.5K SEK 322.1K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

16.14%

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

$32.9K SEK 326.2K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-7.05%

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

$78.3 SEK 776

$172 COP 545.6K

-54.52%

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

$28.05 SEK 278

$13.37 COP 42.4K

109.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.44 SEK 411

$28.73 COP 91.1K

44.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.30 SEK 370

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-17.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.43 SEK 272

$17.04 COP 54.0K

60.97%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 SEK 146

$6.28 COP 19.9K

134.55%

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

$157 SEK 1,553

$770 COP 2.4M

-79.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SEK 789

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-7.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 SEK 563

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-0.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 SEK 996

$137 COP 432.9K

-26.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 SEK 1,192

$97.9 COP 310.4K

22.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 SEK 8,194

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-21.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 SEK 6,647

$616 COP 2.0M

8.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 SEK 17.3K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-7.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 SEK 13.7K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

35.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,176 SEK 61.2K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

52.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,468 SEK 34.4K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

106.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,918 SEK 28.9K

$652 COP 2.1M

347.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.03

10.94

-72.30%

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

Last update for Lund: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lund

$671 38.2%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 8.2% $55

Groceries & Markets

Lund

$353 20.2%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 16.6% $59

Eating Out

Lund

$268 15.3%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 37.1% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Lund

$161 9.2%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 5.8% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lund

$148 8.4%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 44.9% $66

Getting Around

Lund

$87 5%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 7.5% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Lund

$67 3.8%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 13.4% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $827 in Lund and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 347% 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: $89.0 in Lund vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $295 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Lund

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:08 1:08 AM

18:08 6:08 PM

7 h behind Lund

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,800

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lund Medellin 9,360 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lund
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

Lund vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 9% 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.

Average pay runs 347% higher in Lund, 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: $827 in Lund versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,754 per month in Lund versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 20% less than in Lund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $1,754 in Lund, a $2,500 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 $1,614 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 9% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.