Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Marsta

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Marsta: $1,639 and $1,657 a month, rent and utilities included.

Medellin, Colombia
Marsta, Sweden
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Marsta
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,657
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Marsta

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,657 in Marsta, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Marsta $1,657

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,563 in Marsta, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Marsta $2,563

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,468 in Marsta, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Marsta $3,468

Medellin and Marsta have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Medellin and Marsta sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Marsta by 22%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Marsta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$13.29 SEK 130
-39.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.7K
$64.3 SEK 631
-26.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.6K
$10.28 SEK 101
-7.59%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,722
$4.31 SEK 42.28
-30.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,801
$2.00 SEK 19.66
-10.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,554
$1.83 SEK 17.94
-22.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.2K
$6.88 SEK 67.5
-53.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.5K
$6.94 SEK 68.1
-17.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Marsta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,869
$1.72 SEK 16.84
-12.21%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,667
$3.15 SEK 30.91
-24.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,712
$5.73 SEK 56.2
-69.11%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,320
$3.67 SEK 36.04
-21.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$13.27 SEK 130
-23.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.8K
$9.05 SEK 88.8
9.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.1K
$16.91 SEK 166
-17.27%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$2.93 SEK 28.78
35.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,005
$2.68 SEK 26.34
-42.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,039
$2.08 SEK 20.38
4.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,041
$3.67 SEK 35.99
-40.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,328
$1.43 SEK 14.08
37.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,125
$1.48 SEK 14.53
7.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,694
$1.99 SEK 19.57
-42.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,009
$1.91 SEK 18.77
-35.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$6.96 SEK 68.3
-43.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.1K
$10.01 SEK 98.2
36.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,352
$1.97 SEK 19.31
-15.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,281
$2.15 SEK 21.13
5.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Marsta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,766
$3.39 SEK 33.31
-65.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.5K
$77.3 SEK 758
0.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,089
$13.37 SEK 131
-90.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,603
$2.07 SEK 20.28
-0.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$56.9 SEK 558
-84.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,343
$1.77 SEK 17.36
-23.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.8M
$33.7K SEK 330.5K
1.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.8M
$33.8K SEK 332.1K
2.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Marsta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.0K
$61.2 SEK 601
177.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$28.72 SEK 282
-52.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.5K
$40.48 SEK 397
-30.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Marsta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 140.9K
$37.42 SEK 367
16.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.4K
$26.31 SEK 258
-34.66%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$16.10 SEK 158
-57.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Marsta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$219 SEK 2,148
263.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$4,996 SEK 49.0K
82.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Marsta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.2K
$50.5 SEK 496
67.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 186.9K
$29.77 SEK 292
94.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.2K
$91.2 SEK 895
48.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 315.6K
$103 SEK 1,008
-4.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Marsta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$811 SEK 7,954
49.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$615 SEK 6,035
4.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$1,380 SEK 13.5K
46.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$1,006 SEK 9,872
0.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.4M
$4,040 SEK 39.6K
3.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$2,789 SEK 27.4K
-31.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Marsta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$4,609 SEK 45.2K
-85.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
2.8
290.71%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Marsta: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Marsta
$615 4.1% $27
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Marsta
$352 18.5% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Marsta
$130 38.3% $81
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Marsta
$252 48.8% $83
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Marsta
$123 27% $46
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Marsta
$115 22.5% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Marsta
$70 21% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $811 in Marsta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Marsta are about 7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $64 in Marsta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $352 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇸🇪 Marsta
🕒 Local time
05:01 5:01 AM
11:01 11:01 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
24,068
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,598 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.95 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Marsta 9,600 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Marsta

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 Marsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,486 in Marsta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Marsta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $811 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Marsta?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $64 in Marsta. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $219 in Marsta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough for either Medellin or Marsta?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,657 in Marsta, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Marsta?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,657 in Marsta. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marsta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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