Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sundsvall

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $1,720 in Sundsvall, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Sundsvall despite lower rent and utilities.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Sundsvall
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,720
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sundsvall

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,720 in Sundsvall, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,625
  • Sundsvall $1,720

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $2,620 in Sundsvall, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,412
  • Sundsvall $2,620

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $3,520 in Sundsvall, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,199
  • Sundsvall $3,520

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

Both Medellin and Sundsvall sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Sundsvall by 27%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Sundsvall
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.30 COP 26.3K
$15.10 SEK 150
-45.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.91 COP 148.7K
$79.4 SEK 787
-40.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.24 COP 29.3K
$11.04 SEK 109
-16.30%
Cappuccino
$3.05 COP 9,676
$4.78 SEK 47.37
-36.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,707
$2.36 SEK 23.39
-23.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,382
$1.93 SEK 19.12
-28.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 COP 10.3K
$8.37 SEK 82.9
-61.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 COP 17.6K
$7.65 SEK 75.8
-27.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Sundsvall
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 COP 4,760
$1.52 SEK 15.10
-1.32%
White Bread (500g)
$2.37 COP 7,508
$3.03 SEK 30.04
-21.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 COP 5,377
$3.62 SEK 35.88
-53.04%
Eggs
$2.96 COP 9,379
$3.46 SEK 34.30
-14.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 COP 32.4K
$9.66 SEK 95.7
5.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 COP 30.9K
$9.68 SEK 95.9
0.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.90 COP 44.1K
$17.59 SEK 174
-20.98%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 COP 13.1K
$2.80 SEK 27.75
47.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,839
$2.34 SEK 23.15
-34.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 COP 7,052
$2.51 SEK 24.89
-11.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 COP 7,194
$3.85 SEK 38.12
-41.04%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 COP 6,311
$1.44 SEK 14.31
38.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 COP 5,285
$1.38 SEK 13.63
21.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 COP 3,742
$1.77 SEK 17.50
-33.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,919
$0.93 SEK 9.25
33.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.87 COP 12.3K
$7.28 SEK 72.1
-46.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.78 COP 43.7K
$9.33 SEK 92.4
47.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,256
$1.69 SEK 16.75
-1.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 COP 7,615
$1.38 SEK 13.64
73.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Sundsvall
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 COP 3,944
$3.42 SEK 33.91
-63.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.2 COP 248.0K
$87.5 SEK 867
-10.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 COP 4,044
$6.10 SEK 60.5
-79.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 COP 6,803
$5.94 SEK 58.9
-63.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.37 COP 26.5K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,288
$1.68 SEK 16.69
-19.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K COP 110.2M
$31.3K SEK 309.8K
11.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 110.0M
$30.9K SEK 306.0K
12.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Sundsvall
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 COP 528.4K
$99.4 SEK 985
67.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.62 COP 43.2K
$28.79 SEK 285
-52.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.12 COP 92.3K
$37.38 SEK 370
-22.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Sundsvall
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.09 COP 143.0K
$41.61 SEK 412
8.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.18 COP 54.5K
$16.34 SEK 162
5.14%
Cinema Ticket
$6.97 COP 22.1K
$14.30 SEK 142
-51.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Sundsvall
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$138 SEK 1,365
473.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,041 COP 28.7M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Sundsvall
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 COP 278.4K
$94.7 SEK 939
-7.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.2 COP 184.4K
$19.86 SEK 197
192.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 COP 440.7K
$67.7 SEK 670
105.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.9 COP 313.5K
$126 SEK 1,246
-21.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Sundsvall
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$678 SEK 6,716
51.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$620 COP 2.0M
$606 SEK 6,009
2.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,881 COP 6.0M
$1,187 SEK 11.8K
58.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 COP 3.2M
$880 SEK 8,723
14.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,988 COP 12.6M
$2,439 SEK 24.2K
63.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,702 COP 5.4M
$1,679 SEK 16.6K
1.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Sundsvall
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 COP 2.1M
$2,940 SEK 29.1K
-77.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.88
181.96%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sundsvall: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$619
Sundsvall
$606 2.1% $13
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$298
Sundsvall
$317 6.3% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$209
Sundsvall
$166 20.9% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$173
Sundsvall
$139 19.8% $34
Eating Out
Medellin
$171
Sundsvall
$286 67.2% $115
Getting Around
Medellin
$95
Sundsvall
$137 43.9% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$59
Sundsvall
$70 18.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $678 in Sundsvall. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 343% higher in Sundsvall, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $79.0 in Sundsvall. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $317 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇸🇪 Sundsvall
🕒 Local time
06:38 6:38 AM
13:38 1:38 PM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
57,606
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Sundsvall 9,540 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Sundsvall

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 Sundsvall: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sundsvall cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Sundsvall is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $2,580 in Sundsvall. 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 Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Sundsvall?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $79.0 in Sundsvall. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Sundsvall?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $1,720 in Sundsvall. That's a gap of about 6%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Sundsvall?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Sundsvall at $1,720. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sundsvall it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Sundsvall more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Medellin or Sundsvall?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sundsvall makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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