Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Swat Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Swat

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $431 in Swat, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $641 in Swat, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $852 in Swat, rent included.

Medellin costs about 140% more than Swat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Swat are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Swat 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$2.80 PKR 781

111.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$14.08 PKR 3,925

132.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$5.16 PKR 1,438

39.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 PKR 505

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 PKR 1,096

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.06 PKR 573

-17.48%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.42 PKR 118

161.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.24 PKR 67.3

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.68 PKR 189

55.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.67 PKR 187

86.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.23 PKR 344

13.01%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.26 PKR 351

79.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$6.25 PKR 1,741

-30.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$1.36 PKR 380

329.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$1.43 PKR 398

517.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$0.86 PKR 239

160.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.36 PKR 102

200.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$0.51 PKR 141

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.41 PKR 113

234.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.39 PKR 108

189.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.51 PKR 142

119.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.31 PKR 85.7

174.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.41 PKR 114

121.95%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.44 PKR 401

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PKR 244

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 PKR 563

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.13 PKR 594

9.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.19 PKR 53.4

315.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$7.13 PKR 1,989

476.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.36 PKR 101

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.43 PKR 121

344.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$2.89 PKR 807

177.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.91 PKR 255

3.30%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$20.8K PKR 5.8M

-13.90%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$25.8K PKR 7.2M

3.85%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$112 PKR 31.2K

-25.05%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$5.43 PKR 1,513

76.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$12.52 PKR 3,489

92.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$6.12 PKR 1,706

322.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$5.99 PKR 1,670

217.86%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$4.30 PKR 1,199

-8.84%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$19.32 PKR 5,385

1485.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$1,104 PKR 307.8K

435.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$21.69 PKR 6,046

166.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$28.29 PKR 7,888

12.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$88.5 PKR 24.7K

12.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$40.89 PKR 11.4K

162.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$75.7 PKR 21.1K

543.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$52.1 PKR 14.5K

605.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$168 PKR 46.8K

391.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$106 PKR 29.5K

576.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$833 PKR 232.1K

251.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$572 PKR 159.4K

146.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

20.2

-33.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Swat: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $75.7 in Swat. 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $14.00 in Swat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $72.0 – making Swat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Swat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 140%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $647 in Swat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Swat, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $14.00 in Swat. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,034 in Medellin and $431 in Swat. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Swat, where all-in costs run around $431, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Swat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Swat – 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 Swat. 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.