Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,574 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Stockholm
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Stockholm Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Stockholm

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,574

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stockholm and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Stockholm and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,574 per month in Stockholm vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Stockholm $2,574
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $3,871 per month in Stockholm vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Stockholm $3,871
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $5,167 per month in Stockholm vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Stockholm $5,167
Medellin $3,190

Stockholm costs about 59% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Stockholm and Medellin sit above the global median – Stockholm by 91%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 SEK 180

$7.93 COP 25.2K

128.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.6 SEK 986

$46.13 COP 146.3K

115.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 SEK 117

$9.50 COP 30.1K

23.79%

Cappuccino

$4.95 SEK 49.03

$3.11 COP 9,866

59.16%

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

$3.68 SEK 36.46

$1.83 COP 5,800

101.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 SEK 31.28

$1.38 COP 4,360

128.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 SEK 79.8

$3.05 COP 9,672

163.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 SEK 87.4

$5.50 COP 17.4K

60.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.80

$1.45 COP 4,600

24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 SEK 38.43

$2.36 COP 7,496

64.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 SEK 37.99

$1.68 COP 5,328

127.98%

Eggs

$5.14 SEK 50.9

$2.86 COP 9,077

79.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.45 SEK 123

$10.19 COP 32.3K

22.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 SEK 125

$9.53 COP 30.2K

32.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.90 SEK 217

$14.04 COP 44.5K

55.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 SEK 34.41

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-14.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 27.15

$1.50 COP 4,742

82.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.54

$2.17 COP 6,891

41.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 SEK 44.41

$2.31 COP 7,310

93.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 SEK 17.54

$1.93 COP 6,113

-8.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 SEK 17.70

$1.64 COP 5,196

9.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 SEK 23.76

$1.13 COP 3,571

112.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 23.50

$1.25 COP 3,954

89.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.72 SEK 86.4

$3.99 COP 12.6K

118.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.99 SEK 119

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-10.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 SEK 20.90

$1.70 COP 5,384

24.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 25.34

$2.37 COP 7,525

8.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 SEK 42.96

$1.21 COP 3,827

258.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 SEK 1,063

$76.5 COP 242.5K

40.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 SEK 56.9

$1.32 COP 4,179

334.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 SEK 14.58

$2.14 COP 6,774

-31.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.1 SEK 566

$8.47 COP 26.8K

574.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.86

$1.30 COP 4,114

38.46%

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

$32.4K SEK 321.2K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

15.81%

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

$33.6K SEK 332.8K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-5.16%

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

$249 SEK 2,469

$172 COP 545.6K

44.78%

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

$21.60 SEK 214

$13.37 COP 42.4K

61.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.18 SEK 398

$28.73 COP 91.1K

39.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.98 SEK 466

$45.24 COP 143.5K

3.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.15 SEK 378

$17.04 COP 54.0K

123.88%

Cinema Ticket

$19.09 SEK 189

$6.28 COP 19.9K

203.98%

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

$158 SEK 1,569

$770 COP 2.4M

-79.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K SEK 162.0K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

81.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 SEK 1,104

$86.4 COP 274.0K

28.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 SEK 584

$57.1 COP 181.1K

3.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 SEK 1,364

$137 COP 432.9K

0.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 SEK 1,847

$97.9 COP 310.4K

90.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 SEK 16.4K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

57.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 SEK 10.7K

$616 COP 2.0M

75.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,982 SEK 29.5K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

57.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 SEK 17.3K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

70.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.3K SEK 111.8K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

177.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,332 SEK 62.7K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

277.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,583 SEK 35.5K

$652 COP 2.1M

449.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

10.94

-69.20%

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

Last update for Stockholm: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stockholm

$1.1K 41.9%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 42.9% $463

Groceries & Markets

Stockholm

$414 16.1%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 28.8% $119

Eating Out

Stockholm

$325 12.6%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 48.2% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stockholm

$311 12.1%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 31.1% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Stockholm

$222 8.6%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 23.6% $52

Getting Around

Stockholm

$138 5.4%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 32.2% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Stockholm

$85 3.3%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 32.1% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,658 in Stockholm versus $1,055 in Medellin. 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 449% higher in Stockholm, 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 $100 in Stockholm versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Stockholm

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

02:59 2:59 AM

7 h behind Stockholm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

984,748 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Stockholm Medellin 9,620 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Stockholm
Medellin

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

Stockholm vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stockholm is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,861 per month in Stockholm and $2,421 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 $100 in Stockholm and $46.00 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 $2,574 in Stockholm and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 59%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Stockholm at $2,574. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm 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, Stockholm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.