Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostersund and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostersund and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,836 per month in Ostersund vs $1,716 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,835 per month in Ostersund vs $2,527 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,833 per month in Ostersund vs $3,338 in Medellin, rent included.

Ostersund costs about 7% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ostersund and Medellin sit above the global median – Ostersund by 34%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.10 SEK 136

$8.03 COP 25.3K

75.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 SEK 772

$48.26 COP 152.0K

66.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 SEK 102

$9.77 COP 30.8K

8.50%

Cappuccino

$4.72 SEK 45.46

$2.91 COP 9,167

62.20%

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

$2.80 SEK 26.96

$1.94 COP 6,122

44.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 21.07

$1.52 COP 4,792

44.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 SEK 69.2

$3.09 COP 9,740

132.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.47 SEK 71.9

$5.74 COP 18.1K

30.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 SEK 14.98

$1.36 COP 4,296

14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 SEK 30.06

$2.39 COP 7,519

30.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 SEK 48.09

$1.70 COP 5,356

193.53%

Eggs

$3.45 SEK 33.24

$2.87 COP 9,038

20.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 SEK 135

$9.94 COP 31.3K

41.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 SEK 112

$10.78 COP 34.0K

8.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 SEK 152

$14.73 COP 46.4K

7.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.36 SEK 41.94

$4.09 COP 12.9K

6.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 SEK 29.07

$1.57 COP 4,950

92.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 SEK 35.31

$2.13 COP 6,695

72.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 SEK 39.46

$2.21 COP 6,972

85.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 SEK 15.43

$2.05 COP 6,447

-21.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 16.18

$1.50 COP 4,737

12.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 SEK 22.31

$1.19 COP 3,747

94.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 SEK 14.34

$1.16 COP 3,647

28.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.99 SEK 77.0

$3.90 COP 12.3K

104.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.72 SEK 103

$14.44 COP 45.5K

-25.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 SEK 19.47

$1.58 COP 4,987

27.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 22.86

$2.83 COP 8,905

-16.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.58 SEK 34.48

$1.17 COP 3,679

205.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 SEK 776

$77.7 COP 244.8K

3.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.32 SEK 60.9

$1.28 COP 4,045

393.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 SEK 17.38

$2.09 COP 6,589

-13.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.8 SEK 595

$8.62 COP 27.1K

616.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 SEK 18.12

$1.30 COP 4,088

44.62%

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

$34.5K SEK 331.9K

$27.7K COP 87.1M

24.61%

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

$34.7K SEK 334.5K

$35.5K COP 111.8M

-2.18%

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

$114 SEK 1,100

$176 COP 554.5K

-35.11%

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

$26.86 SEK 259

$13.37 COP 42.1K

100.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.08 SEK 396

$29.89 COP 94.1K

37.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.08 SEK 386

$44.76 COP 141.0K

-10.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.27 SEK 263

$17.06 COP 53.7K

59.85%

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 SEK 147

$6.20 COP 19.5K

145.65%

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

$128 SEK 1,237

$793 COP 2.5M

-83.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,229 SEK 50.4K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

-42.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 SEK 896

$85.6 COP 269.6K

8.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.36 SEK 427

$58.5 COP 184.1K

-24.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 SEK 956

$136 COP 429.3K

-27.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 SEK 1,430

$103 COP 324.7K

44.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 SEK 8,102

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-20.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 SEK 5,967

$680 COP 2.1M

-8.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 SEK 13.4K

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-31.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 SEK 10.1K

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-10.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,297 SEK 41.4K

$4,111 COP 12.9M

4.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,919 SEK 28.1K

$1,701 COP 5.4M

71.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

10.94

-68.74%

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

Last update for Ostersund: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $841 in Ostersund versus $1,060 in Medellin. 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 $80.0 in Ostersund versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $303 – making Medellin 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

Ostersund vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ostersund is pricier by about 7%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,755 per month in Ostersund and $2,574 in Medellin. 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 $80.0 in Ostersund and $48.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,836 in Ostersund and $1,716 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,716, than in Ostersund at $1,836. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ostersund 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, Ostersund makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.