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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,885 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $3,023 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $4,161 in Lulea.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 46% less than in Lulea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Lulea is 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$12.89 SEK 121

-53.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$93.8 SEK 881

-64.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$12.01 SEK 113

-40.97%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$4.65 SEK 43.68

-63.23%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$2.56 SEK 24.04

-57.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$2.06 SEK 19.38

-62.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$8.46 SEK 79.5

-80.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$9.98 SEK 93.8

-69.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.93 SEK 18.14

-43.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$3.55 SEK 33.37

-64.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$5.02 SEK 47.17

-72.51%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$4.95 SEK 46.52

-55.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$12.91 SEK 121

-65.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$13.97 SEK 131

-59.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$27.38 SEK 257

-67.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$2.69 SEK 25.30

-13.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$2.80 SEK 26.32

-62.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$2.62 SEK 24.65

-42.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$4.52 SEK 42.45

-69.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$2.18 SEK 20.47

-47.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$1.64 SEK 15.36

-29.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$3.42 SEK 32.09

-73.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$1.45 SEK 13.62

-42.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$7.45 SEK 70.0

-69.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$12.66 SEK 119

-15.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.83 SEK 17.22

-34.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.80 SEK 16.89

37.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$3.36 SEK 31.60

-74.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$60.1 SEK 565

-31.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$9.53 SEK 89.5

-84.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$1.71 SEK 16.10

14.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$75.1 SEK 705

-89.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.89 SEK 17.72

-49.74%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$32.0K SEK 300.4K

-43.31%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$34.9K SEK 327.7K

-24.08%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$174 SEK 1,638

-52.84%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$33.07 SEK 311

-71.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$28.42 SEK 267

-14.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$49.17 SEK 462

-47.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$36.67 SEK 344

-48.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$13.75 SEK 129

-71.42%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$159 SEK 1,491

94.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$5,764 SEK 54.1K

3.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$125 SEK 1,176

-53.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$33.73 SEK 317

-4.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$126 SEK 1,182

-18.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$172 SEK 1,616

-36.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$791 SEK 7,425

-39.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$578 SEK 5,431

-34.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,413 SEK 13.3K

-40.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$1,053 SEK 9,890

-31.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$3,337 SEK 31.3K

-16.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$2,379 SEK 22.3K

-49.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$2,732 SEK 25.7K

-81.27%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lulea: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $791 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 434% 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 $94.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $428 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 86% 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, Lulea earns 434% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $791 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 127% 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 $94.0 in Lulea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,885 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 $1,013 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 86% less than in Lulea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.