Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Swabi

For one person, living is cheaper in Swabi: $522 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Swabi
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Swabi Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Swabi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Swabi

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $522 in Swabi, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Swabi $522

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $796 in Swabi, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Swabi $796

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,070 in Swabi, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Swabi $1,070

Medellin costs about 209% more than Swabi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Swabi is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$3.57 PKR 988

122.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$23.34 PKR 6,459

97.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$5.33 PKR 1,474

78.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 PKR 1,028

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 PKR 1,908

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.68 PKR 743

16.04%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.36 PKR 98.3

408.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.21 PKR 58.1

557.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$0.97 PKR 269

49.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.72 PKR 199

227.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.31 PKR 362

28.24%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.21 PKR 335

136.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$6.06 PKR 1,677

68.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$3.16 PKR 874

201.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$5.29 PKR 1,463

165.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.33 PKR 369

206.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$0.87 PKR 242

72.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.06 PKR 294

104.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$0.52 PKR 144

344.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.29 PKR 81.2

565.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.35 PKR 97.9

368.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.28 PKR 77.0

303.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.39 PKR 109

220.51%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 497

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 333

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 PKR 646

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$2.37 PKR 656

68.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.18 PKR 49.49

572.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$9.78 PKR 2,707

682.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.23 PKR 342

7.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.74 PKR 205

189.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$1.65 PKR 456

413.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.33 PKR 369

-2.26%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

29.71%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$24.0K PKR 6.6M

47.50%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$104 PKR 28.8K

65.65%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$6.08 PKR 1,682

119.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$17.31 PKR 4,791

65.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$13.38 PKR 3,704

238.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$9.00 PKR 2,491

89.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$4.23 PKR 1,171

48.46%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$74.5 PKR 20.6K

933.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$1,031 PKR 285.4K

773.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$26.58 PKR 7,356

225.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$34.97 PKR 9,679

63.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$97.9 PKR 27.1K

39.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$41.24 PKR 11.4K

137.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$131 PKR 36.2K

706.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$85.5 PKR 23.7K

620.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$240 PKR 66.4K

689.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$127 PKR 35.1K

705.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$949 PKR 262.7K

327.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$514 PKR 142.4K

226.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

13.08

-16.36%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Swabi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Swabi

$85 16.4% 86.1% $530

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Swabi

$103 19.7% 65% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Swabi

$127 24.4% 40.6% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Swabi

$90 17.3% 46.9% $80

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Swabi

$79 15.1% 53.1% $89

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Swabi

$15 3% 83.5% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Swabi

$22 4.2% 62.2% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $131 in Swabi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $23.00 in Swabi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $103 – making Swabi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇰 Swabi

🕒 Local time

04:17 4:17 AM

14:17 2:17 PM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

123,412

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

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).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Swabi 14,410 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Swabi

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 Swabi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 209%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $784 in Swabi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Swabi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $23.00 in Swabi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $522 in Swabi. That's a gap of about 209%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Swabi, where all-in costs run around $522, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Swabi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Swabi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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