Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Stockholm

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,531 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Stockholm
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Stockholm Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Stockholm

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,531

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Stockholm

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,531 in Stockholm, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Stockholm $2,531

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,823 in Stockholm, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Stockholm $3,823

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $5,114 in Stockholm, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Stockholm $5,114

Medellin is about 35% cheaper than Stockholm, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Stockholm sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Stockholm by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$17.91 SEK 176

-54.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$102 SEK 1,001

-53.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$11.76 SEK 115

-19.22%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$5.17 SEK 50.8

-41.78%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$3.66 SEK 35.99

-50.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$3.07 SEK 30.18

-54.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$7.86 SEK 77.2

-59.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$9.11 SEK 89.4

-36.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.65 SEK 16.21

-8.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$3.91 SEK 38.41

-39.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$3.72 SEK 36.50

-52.42%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$5.09 SEK 49.99

-43.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$12.83 SEK 126

-20.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$12.77 SEK 125

-22.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$22.47 SEK 221

-37.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.55 SEK 34.90

11.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$2.87 SEK 28.21

-45.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$3.26 SEK 32.00

-33.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$4.36 SEK 42.80

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.76 SEK 17.31

11.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.79 SEK 17.55

-11.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$2.45 SEK 24.07

-53.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$2.37 SEK 23.29

-47.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$8.68 SEK 85.2

-54.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$12.16 SEK 119

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.13 SEK 20.89

-22.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.53 SEK 24.81

-10.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$4.27 SEK 41.96

-72.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$107 SEK 1,046

-27.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$6.05 SEK 59.4

-79.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.54 SEK 15.14

33.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$55.7 SEK 547

-84.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.82 SEK 17.83

-25.82%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$32.8K SEK 321.7K

3.99%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$33.7K SEK 331.0K

2.84%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$254 SEK 2,494

-33.20%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$21.66 SEK 213

-37.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$41.33 SEK 406

-32.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$46.32 SEK 455

-5.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$38.99 SEK 383

-55.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$18.53 SEK 182

-62.71%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$160 SEK 1,567

399.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$16.2K SEK 159.1K

-43.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$111 SEK 1,092

-23.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$59.7 SEK 586

-2.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$133 SEK 1,306

1.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$183 SEK 1,801

-46.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,614 SEK 15.9K

-25.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,031 SEK 10.1K

-37.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$2,614 SEK 25.7K

-22.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,677 SEK 16.5K

-39.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$11.8K SEK 116.0K

-64.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$6,816 SEK 66.9K

-71.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,521 SEK 34.6K

-81.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.33

228.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Stockholm: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Stockholm

$1K 40.8% 60.7% $390

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Stockholm

$418 16.5% 40.6% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Stockholm

$317 12.5% 50% $106

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Stockholm

$325 12.9% 91.7% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Stockholm

$219 8.7% 29.8% $50

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Stockholm

$137 5.4% 46.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Stockholm

$83 3.3% 44.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,614 in Stockholm. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Stockholm are about 5.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $102 in Stockholm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $418 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇪 Stockholm

🕒 Local time

23:39 11:39 PM

05:39 5:39 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

984,748 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Stockholm 9,620 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Stockholm

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 Stockholm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stockholm is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $3,796 in Stockholm. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,614 in Stockholm.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $102 in Stockholm. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $2,531 in Stockholm. That makes Medellin about 35% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Stockholm at $2,531. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $2,531 in Stockholm. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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