Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kista

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,726 in Kista, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Kista despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Kista
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Kista Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Kista

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kista

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,726 in Kista, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Kista $1,726

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,685 in Kista, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Kista $2,685

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,644 in Kista, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Kista $3,644

Medellin is about 6% cheaper than Kista, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Kista sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Kista by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$12.98 SEK 129

-38.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$75.9 SEK 752

-39.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$10.22 SEK 101

-7.05%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$4.44 SEK 44.02

-29.95%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.59 SEK 25.65

-29.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$2.20 SEK 21.83

-37.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$7.07 SEK 70.1

-56.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$7.28 SEK 72.1

-24.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.64 SEK 16.27

-11.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.69 SEK 26.68

-12.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$3.51 SEK 34.75

-52.14%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$4.24 SEK 42.04

-32.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$11.67 SEK 116

-12.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$11.62 SEK 115

-17.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$17.38 SEK 172

-19.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.05 SEK 30.22

33.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.48 SEK 24.53

-39.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.89 SEK 28.60

-24.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$4.30 SEK 42.59

-46.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.62 SEK 16.01

19.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.56 SEK 15.49

5.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.28 SEK 22.56

-50.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.45 SEK 14.33

-13.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$7.22 SEK 71.6

-44.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$9.69 SEK 96.0

37.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.95 SEK 19.29

-12.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.13 SEK 21.15

11.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$3.27 SEK 32.41

-63.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$76.2 SEK 755

0.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$6.01 SEK 59.5

-78.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.71 SEK 16.99

25.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$58.4 SEK 579

-85.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.79 SEK 17.70

-27.37%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$32.5K SEK 322.2K

-13.92%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$33.1K SEK 327.9K

7.02%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$102 SEK 1,013

68.37%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$23.99 SEK 238

-44.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$37.81 SEK 375

-24.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$37.48 SEK 371

20.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$25.74 SEK 255

-33.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$16.18 SEK 160

-61.19%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$154 SEK 1,522

401.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$5,003 SEK 49.6K

80.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$90.7 SEK 898

-4.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$40.01 SEK 396

42.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$89.3 SEK 885

52.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$140 SEK 1,383

-29.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$795 SEK 7,877

32.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$619 SEK 6,131

-0.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,317 SEK 13.0K

43.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,016 SEK 10.1K

0.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$3,969 SEK 39.3K

2.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$2,749 SEK 27.2K

-38.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.45

217.10%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kista: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Kista

$619 35.9% 0.5% $3

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Kista

$351 20.3% 19% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Kista

$164 9.5% 23.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Kista

$162 9.4% 4.9% $8.3

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Kista

$257 14.9% 52.6% $89

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Kista

$104 6% 11.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Kista

$70 4.1% 20.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $795 in Kista. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $76.0 in Kista. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $351 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇪 Kista

🕒 Local time

02:59 2:59 AM

09:59 9:59 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

10,254

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Kista 9,610 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kista

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 Kista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kista costs about 7% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,589 in Kista. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,726 in Kista. That's a gap of about 7%.

Public transport costs about 0% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Kista at $1,726. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kista it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,614 versus $1,726 in Kista. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Kista makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.