Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Vasteras

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,818 in Vasteras, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. The total is higher in Vasteras despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Vasteras
Learn more

Vasteras Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Vasteras

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Vasteras

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,818 in Vasteras, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Vasteras $1,818

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,764 in Vasteras, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Vasteras $2,764

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,710 in Vasteras, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Vasteras $3,710

Medellin is about 11% cheaper than Vasteras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Vasteras sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Vasteras by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$13.70 SEK 136

-42.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$64.6 SEK 640

-28.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$9.91 SEK 98.2

-4.14%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$4.23 SEK 41.92

-26.48%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.25 SEK 22.27

-18.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$2.22 SEK 21.97

-37.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$7.15 SEK 70.8

-57.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$7.08 SEK 70.2

-22.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.40 SEK 13.87

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$3.00 SEK 29.70

-21.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$3.57 SEK 35.37

-52.94%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$3.89 SEK 38.55

-26.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$12.11 SEK 120

-15.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$12.74 SEK 126

-25.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$22.30 SEK 221

-37.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.19 SEK 31.59

27.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.53 SEK 25.05

-40.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$3.67 SEK 36.37

-40.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$4.39 SEK 43.46

-47.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.47 SEK 14.55

31.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.70 SEK 16.80

-3.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.18 SEK 21.62

-48.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.49 SEK 14.73

-16.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$7.08 SEK 70.2

-43.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$13.30 SEK 132

0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.32 SEK 13.10

28.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.17 SEK 21.54

9.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$3.32 SEK 32.88

-63.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$70.7 SEK 700

8.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$3.51 SEK 34.78

-62.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$2.50 SEK 24.78

-14.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$81.0 SEK 802

-89.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.66 SEK 16.49

-21.69%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$33.2K SEK 328.6K

-15.61%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$32.0K SEK 317.5K

10.53%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$183 SEK 1,817

-6.17%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$22.17 SEK 220

-39.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$43.15 SEK 428

-33.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$34.14 SEK 338

32.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$19.65 SEK 195

-13.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$16.74 SEK 166

-62.49%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$151 SEK 1,499

408.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$4,881 SEK 48.4K

84.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$101 SEK 1,002

-14.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$40.24 SEK 399

41.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$86.7 SEK 859

57.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$134 SEK 1,323

-26.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$750 SEK 7,429

40.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$601 SEK 5,957

2.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,366 SEK 13.5K

38.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$997 SEK 9,880

2.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$3,564 SEK 35.3K

13.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$2,404 SEK 23.8K

-30.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$2,996 SEK 29.7K

-78.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.53

209.92%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Vasteras: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Vasteras

$601 33.1% 2.4% $15

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Vasteras

$380 20.9% 29.1% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Vasteras

$249 13.7% 16.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Vasteras

$163 9% 4.3% $7.3

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Vasteras

$258 14.2% 53.1% $89

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Vasteras

$100 5.5% 7.1% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Vasteras

$68 3.7% 17% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $750 in Vasteras. 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 359% higher in Vasteras, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $65.0 in Vasteras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $380 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇪 Vasteras

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

01:08 1:08 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

110,877

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 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 October 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Vasteras 9,530 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Vasteras

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 Vasteras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vasteras is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,728 in Vasteras. 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. 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 $65.0 in Vasteras. 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 $1,818 in Vasteras. That's a gap of about 13%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Vasteras at $1,818. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vasteras it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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.

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