Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gavle

For one person, living is cheaper in Gavle: $1,439 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Gavle
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Gavle Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Gavle

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,439

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Gavle

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Gavle actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,439 in Gavle.

Medellin $1,625
Gavle $1,439

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $2,286 in Gavle.

Medellin $2,412
Gavle $2,286

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $3,134 in Gavle.

Medellin $3,199
Gavle $3,134

Living in Medellin is roughly 13% more expensive than in Gavle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Gavle 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$13.69 SEK 136

-39.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$79.4 SEK 786

-40.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$9.31 SEK 92.2

-0.75%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$4.42 SEK 43.79

-31.00%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$2.07 SEK 20.51

-13.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$1.91 SEK 18.95

-27.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$7.79 SEK 77.2

-58.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$7.75 SEK 76.8

-28.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.63 SEK 16.12

-7.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$2.61 SEK 25.84

-9.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$3.73 SEK 36.95

-54.42%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$3.81 SEK 37.80

-22.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$9.13 SEK 90.4

11.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$10.29 SEK 102

-5.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$18.73 SEK 186

-25.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.05 SEK 30.25

35.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$2.74 SEK 27.16

-44.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$3.27 SEK 32.43

-32.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$4.35 SEK 43.07

-47.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.73 SEK 17.12

15.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.82 SEK 17.99

-8.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$2.55 SEK 25.26

-53.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$2.05 SEK 20.35

-39.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$7.99 SEK 79.1

-51.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$11.13 SEK 110

23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.64 SEK 16.23

1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.55 SEK 15.34

54.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$3.25 SEK 32.22

-61.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$60.4 SEK 598

29.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$4.52 SEK 44.83

-71.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.53 SEK 15.16

40.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$33.87 SEK 336

-75.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.81 SEK 17.90

-25.41%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$25.8K SEK 255.2K

34.97%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$28.1K SEK 278.1K

23.56%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$55.6 SEK 551

199.62%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$21.93 SEK 217

-37.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$39.60 SEK 392

-26.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$47.32 SEK 469

-4.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$15.22 SEK 151

-54.20%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$133 SEK 1,321

492.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$15.3K SEK 151.1K

-40.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$70.6 SEK 699

24.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$58.8 SEK 583

-1.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$50.9 SEK 505

172.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$89.5 SEK 887

10.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$579 SEK 5,738

77.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$425 SEK 4,208

45.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$762 SEK 7,546

146.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$665 SEK 6,593

51.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,945 SEK 19.3K

105.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,333 SEK 13.2K

27.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$3,144 SEK 31.1K

-78.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.37

224.63%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Gavle: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Gavle

$425 29.5% 31.5% $195

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Gavle

$351 24.4% 17.9% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Gavle

$117 8.1% 44% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Gavle

$121 8.4% 29.7% $51

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Gavle

$261 18.1% 52.7% $90

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Gavle

$86 6% 10.1% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Gavle

$78 5.4% 31.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $579 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 374% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $79.0 in Gavle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $351 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇪 Gavle

🕒 Local time

01:58 1:58 AM

08:58 8:58 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

100,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Gavle 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Gavle

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

Medellin vs Gavle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Gavle differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,625 vs $1,439 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 374% lower in Gavle. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Medellin versus $579 in Gavle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gavle runs roughly 30% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $133 in Gavle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,439 in Gavle versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gavle but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Gavle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Gavle 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 Gavle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.