Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ystad

For one person, living is cheaper in Ystad: $1,646 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $550 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Medellin, Colombia
Ystad, Sweden
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Ystad
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,646
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ystad

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,646 in Ystad, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Ystad $1,646

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,615 in Ystad, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Ystad $2,615

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $3,584 in Ystad, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Ystad $3,584

Medellin costs about 3% more than Ystad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Medellin and Ystad sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Ystad by 22%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Ystad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.8K
$12.46 SEK 122
-33.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 149.7K
$89.3 SEK 873
-47.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.5K
$10.19 SEK 99.6
-7.07%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$3.00 SEK 29.35
4.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,681
$3.03 SEK 29.57
-41.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,582
$2.30 SEK 22.47
-38.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.1K
$6.96 SEK 68.0
-54.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.3K
$7.43 SEK 72.7
-23.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Ystad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,930
$1.71 SEK 16.66
-10.53%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,370
$2.89 SEK 28.28
-20.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,257
$3.32 SEK 32.44
-41.57%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,864
$2.98 SEK 29.13
3.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.1K
$11.80 SEK 115
-15.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.6K
$9.12 SEK 89.1
14.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 44.9K
$17.43 SEK 170
-19.91%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.0K
$3.06 SEK 29.90
32.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,916
$2.48 SEK 24.25
-38.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,769
$3.01 SEK 29.40
-30.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,378
$4.43 SEK 43.32
-48.31%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,785
$1.63 SEK 15.89
29.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,498
$1.66 SEK 16.26
3.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,764
$1.97 SEK 19.29
-40.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,083
$1.76 SEK 17.24
-10.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$8.82 SEK 86.2
-55.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.2K
$12.19 SEK 119
15.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,667
$2.05 SEK 20.05
-14.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,724
$2.29 SEK 22.35
18.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Ystad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,795
$3.33 SEK 32.53
-64.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 245.4K
$77.2 SEK 755
-1.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,812
$6.21 SEK 60.7
-70.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,849
$1.75 SEK 17.11
21.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.2K
$59.3 SEK 579
-86.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,102
$1.83 SEK 17.89
-30.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 110.8M
$31.0K SEK 302.7K
11.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.8M
$33.9K SEK 331.3K
0.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Ystad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 571.7K
$105 SEK 1,030
68.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.7K
$19.77 SEK 193
-29.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 98.9K
$31.01 SEK 303
-0.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Ystad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 134.9K
$37.34 SEK 365
12.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.0K
$25.90 SEK 253
-35.14%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.0K
$12.22 SEK 119
-38.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Ystad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$181 SEK 1,772
335.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.6M
$4,824 SEK 47.1K
154.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Ystad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 277.7K
$51.6 SEK 504
67.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 190.6K
$33.96 SEK 332
74.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 445.0K
$88.6 SEK 866
56.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 317.8K
$134 SEK 1,313
-26.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Ystad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$825 SEK 8,059
62.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.1M
$601 SEK 5,874
11.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$1,383 SEK 13.5K
42.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$1,028 SEK 10.0K
0.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$4,138 SEK 40.4K
-0.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.2M
$2,931 SEK 28.6K
-33.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Ystad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$1,915 SEK 18.7K
-66.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.06
257.52%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ystad: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Ystad
$601 9.9% $66
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Ystad
$345 12.4% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Ystad
$156 29.8% $66
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Ystad
$237 37.5% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Ystad
$139 19.4% $33
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Ystad
$106 12.9% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Ystad
$62 8.6% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $825 in Ystad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ystad are about 3 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $89 in Ystad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $345 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇸🇪 Ystad
🕒 Local time
18:52 6:52 PM
00:52 12:52 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
18,350
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,217 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 9.77 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.97 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Ystad 9,400 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Ystad

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 Ystad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ystad cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $2,469 in Ystad. 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 Ystad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $825 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Ystad?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $89 in Ystad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Ystad?
Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is $2,000 enough for either Medellin or Ystad?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,692 in Medellin and $1,646 in Ystad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Medellin or Ystad more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ystad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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