Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lulea Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lulea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,865 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $3,060 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $4,256 in Lulea.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 45% less than in Lulea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Lulea is 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$12.56 SEK 121

-50.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$94.6 SEK 914

-65.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$11.60 SEK 112

-36.72%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$4.87 SEK 47.06

-64.68%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$2.55 SEK 24.63

-58.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$1.97 SEK 19.07

-60.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$8.57 SEK 82.8

-80.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$9.97 SEK 96.3

-68.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.93 SEK 18.70

-45.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$3.42 SEK 33.08

-61.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$5.07 SEK 49.01

-72.39%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$4.74 SEK 45.84

-54.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$12.76 SEK 123

-65.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$14.05 SEK 136

-58.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$28.00 SEK 271

-69.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$2.61 SEK 25.23

-12.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$2.76 SEK 26.67

-59.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$2.60 SEK 25.10

-41.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$4.36 SEK 42.18

-69.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$2.23 SEK 21.55

-49.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.66 SEK 16.00

-31.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$3.48 SEK 33.62

-75.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.44 SEK 13.88

-36.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$7.42 SEK 71.7

-68.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$12.34 SEK 119

0.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.88 SEK 18.21

-36.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.85 SEK 17.93

34.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$3.36 SEK 32.46

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$58.3 SEK 564

-30.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$9.54 SEK 92.2

-85.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$1.73 SEK 16.73

10.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$74.5 SEK 720

-89.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.89 SEK 18.27

-47.62%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$32.2K SEK 311.1K

-43.98%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$35.7K SEK 344.8K

-25.35%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$176 SEK 1,697

-53.97%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$31.87 SEK 308

-68.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$28.56 SEK 276

-15.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$48.58 SEK 470

-48.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$36.54 SEK 353

-47.59%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$13.73 SEK 133

-71.01%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$163 SEK 1,571

87.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$5,827 SEK 56.3K

3.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$124 SEK 1,194

-52.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$33.60 SEK 325

-4.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$130 SEK 1,256

-22.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$170 SEK 1,648

-36.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$806 SEK 7,789

-40.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$589 SEK 5,693

-36.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$1,441 SEK 13.9K

-41.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$1,081 SEK 10.4K

-32.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$3,107 SEK 30.0K

3.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$2,323 SEK 22.5K

-40.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$2,654 SEK 25.7K

-76.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.2

219.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lulea: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $806 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 330% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $95.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $426 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 Lulea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 81% lower than in Lulea. 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 330% lower in Lulea. 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: $477 in Medellin versus $806 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 121% higher in Lulea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $95.0 in Lulea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,865 in Lulea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lulea. 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 $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Lulea 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 81% less than in Lulea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.