Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Helsingborg

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $1,723 in Helsingborg, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Helsingborg despite lower rent and utilities.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Helsingborg
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Helsingborg Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Helsingborg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Helsingborg

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 Helsingborg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,723 in Helsingborg, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Helsingborg $1,723

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $2,599 in Helsingborg, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Helsingborg $2,599

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $3,474 in Helsingborg, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Helsingborg $3,474

Medellin is about 8% cheaper than Helsingborg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Helsingborg sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Helsingborg by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$12.83 SEK 128

-37.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$69.0 SEK 689

-32.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$12.36 SEK 124

-23.71%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$4.61 SEK 46.08

-36.88%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$2.91 SEK 29.10

-39.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$2.32 SEK 23.17

-43.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$6.77 SEK 67.7

-53.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$6.09 SEK 60.9

-8.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$1.43 SEK 14.28

-1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$2.70 SEK 27.00

-9.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$3.01 SEK 30.05

-45.85%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$3.86 SEK 38.60

-26.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$11.17 SEK 112

-13.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$10.95 SEK 109

-14.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$14.75 SEK 147

-8.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$3.01 SEK 30.06

32.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$2.44 SEK 24.37

-39.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$3.02 SEK 30.14

-29.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$4.41 SEK 44.11

-48.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$1.63 SEK 16.28

17.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$1.52 SEK 15.19

6.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$1.81 SEK 18.08

-36.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$1.65 SEK 16.45

-23.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$8.19 SEK 81.8

-53.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$9.30 SEK 92.9

40.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$2.03 SEK 20.33

-21.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$2.16 SEK 21.59

4.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$3.13 SEK 31.24

-62.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$62.6 SEK 626

19.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$6.20 SEK 62.0

-79.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$1.69 SEK 16.94

21.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$59.5 SEK 594

-86.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.75 SEK 17.53

-27.43%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$32.2K SEK 322.2K

-16.94%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$33.0K SEK 329.7K

4.28%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$104 SEK 1,041

55.67%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$19.28 SEK 193

-31.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$33.29 SEK 333

-15.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$37.67 SEK 377

17.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$21.86 SEK 218

-25.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$14.85 SEK 148

-58.99%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$172 SEK 1,721

343.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$78.7 SEK 786

8.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$33.25 SEK 332

72.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$85.8 SEK 858

53.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$109 SEK 1,091

-12.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$830 SEK 8,294

23.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$632 SEK 6,315

-4.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$1,362 SEK 13.6K

32.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$1,061 SEK 10.6K

-6.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$3,047 SEK 30.5K

28.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$2,288 SEK 22.9K

-28.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$2,855 SEK 28.5K

-78.07%

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: October 6, 2026

Last update for Helsingborg: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Helsingborg

$632 37.6% 4.5% $27

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Helsingborg

$333 19.8% 15.5% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Helsingborg

$157 9.3% 22.9% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Helsingborg

$138 8.2% 17.1% $28

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Helsingborg

$262 15.6% 57.5% $96

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Helsingborg

$90 5.4% 1.6% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Helsingborg

$67 4% 19.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $830 in Helsingborg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 356% higher in Helsingborg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $69.0 in Helsingborg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $333 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇪 Helsingborg

🕒 Local time

00:02 12:02 AM

07:02 7:02 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

93,838

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Helsingborg 9,320 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Helsingborg

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 Helsingborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,589 in Medellin, $1,723 in Helsingborg – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $2,585 in Helsingborg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $764 per month in Medellin and $172 in Helsingborg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Helsingborg at $1,723. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Helsingborg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,589 in Medellin to $1,723 in Helsingborg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Helsingborg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.