Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,066 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $3,137 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $4,208 in Gothenburg.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 19% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Gothenburg 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$13.45 SEK 133

-40.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$91.4 SEK 901

-47.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$13.14 SEK 130

-24.73%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$4.97 SEK 48.93

-37.02%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$3.02 SEK 29.77

-36.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$2.23 SEK 21.93

-32.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$6.88 SEK 67.8

-54.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$7.55 SEK 74.4

-23.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.73 SEK 17.07

-16.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.72 SEK 26.78

-8.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$3.18 SEK 31.32

-44.34%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$3.94 SEK 38.82

-24.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$11.92 SEK 117

-15.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$11.66 SEK 115

-13.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$16.83 SEK 166

-15.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.20 SEK 31.51

29.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.57 SEK 25.34

-37.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$3.08 SEK 30.40

-26.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$4.24 SEK 41.82

-46.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.85 SEK 18.24

10.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.65 SEK 16.29

-6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.98 SEK 19.51

-40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.73 SEK 17.01

-24.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$8.36 SEK 82.4

-53.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$14.27 SEK 141

-1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.07 SEK 20.38

-15.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.23 SEK 21.96

28.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$3.74 SEK 36.89

-67.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$88.0 SEK 867

-8.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$6.22 SEK 61.3

-78.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.71 SEK 16.82

28.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$60.3 SEK 594

-85.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.83 SEK 17.99

-25.14%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$33.4K SEK 329.0K

-16.62%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$34.8K SEK 342.7K

2.86%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$107 SEK 1,057

65.28%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$19.22 SEK 189

-27.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$35.96 SEK 354

-17.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$37.06 SEK 365

21.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$25.22 SEK 249

-32.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$19.54 SEK 193

-65.97%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$229 SEK 2,253

255.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$4,474 SEK 44.1K

105.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$89.2 SEK 879

0.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$33.16 SEK 327

77.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$93.3 SEK 919

48.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$133 SEK 1,308

-23.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

1.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$952 SEK 9,380

-30.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

1.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$1,409 SEK 13.9K

-27.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$6,398 SEK 63.1K

-34.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$3,571 SEK 35.2K

-53.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$3,625 SEK 35.7K

-81.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.06

257.52%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 435% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $363 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

Medellin vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 435% lower in Gothenburg. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $229 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,066 in Gothenburg, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. 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 $1,681 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Gothenburg 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 23% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.