Cost of Living Comparison Between Tumba and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Tumba and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,895 per month in Tumba vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,871 per month in Tumba vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,847 per month in Tumba vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Tumba costs about 86% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Tumba sits 41% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.95 SEK 142

$5.95 COP 21.2K

151.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 SEK 638

$33.33 COP 118.9K

101.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 SEK 101

$7.23 COP 25.8K

46.61%

Cappuccino

$4.65 SEK 44.10

$1.63 COP 5,811

185.28%

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

$2.70 SEK 25.57

$1.09 COP 3,904

147.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SEK 23.85

$0.73 COP 2,604

245.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 SEK 67.9

$1.74 COP 6,197

311.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 SEK 71.3

$3.23 COP 11.5K

132.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.26

$1.05 COP 3,742

63.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 SEK 29.47

$1.29 COP 4,614

141.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.02 SEK 38.11

$1.32 COP 4,718

204.55%

Eggs

$3.99 SEK 37.84

$2.27 COP 8,101

75.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 SEK 121

$4.35 COP 15.5K

194.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.16 SEK 125

$5.88 COP 21.0K

123.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.63 SEK 148

$8.61 COP 30.7K

81.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 SEK 34.28

$2.25 COP 8,015

60.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 24.41

$1.07 COP 3,814

140.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 SEK 14.88

$1.52 COP 5,438

3.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 SEK 44.07

$1.42 COP 5,073

227.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 SEK 14.79

$1.17 COP 4,173

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 17.71

$1.17 COP 4,166

59.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 SEK 24.84

$0.89 COP 3,163

194.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.27

$0.90 COP 3,215

78.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.37 SEK 69.9

$2.25 COP 8,008

227.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.74 SEK 102

$11.04 COP 39.4K

-2.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 SEK 16.73

$1.14 COP 4,063

54.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 SEK 18.14

$2.38 COP 8,483

-19.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.41 SEK 41.86

$0.84 COP 2,979

425.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 SEK 1,004

$41.95 COP 149.6K

152.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.13 SEK 58.1

$1.41 COP 5,019

334.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 SEK 11.58

$1.90 COP 6,779

-35.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.80 SEK 197

$7.75 COP 27.6K

168.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 SEK 18.90

$1.01 COP 3,586

97.03%

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

$32.2K SEK 305.1K

$17.6K COP 62.7M

83.02%

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

$34.2K SEK 324.3K

$26.5K COP 94.5M

29.10%

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

$90.3 SEK 856

$83.7 COP 298.4K

7.95%

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

$28.17 SEK 267

$9.45 COP 33.7K

198.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.83 SEK 397

$24.11 COP 86.0K

73.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.37 SEK 411

$25.31 COP 90.3K

71.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.71 SEK 244

$19.14 COP 68.3K

34.33%

Cinema Ticket

$16.14 SEK 153

$4.10 COP 14.6K

293.66%

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

$143 SEK 1,355

$312 COP 1.1M

-54.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,072 SEK 38.6K

$5,993 COP 21.4M

-32.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 SEK 978

$58.0 COP 207.0K

77.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.27 SEK 420

$32.56 COP 116.1K

35.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 SEK 1,111

$99.6 COP 355.3K

17.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 SEK 1,489

$109 COP 387.1K

44.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 SEK 7,980

$482 COP 1.7M

74.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 SEK 6,184

$379 COP 1.4M

71.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 SEK 13.3K

$837 COP 3.0M

67.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 SEK 10.5K

$723 COP 2.6M

52.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,847 SEK 46.0K

$2,840 COP 10.1M

70.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,251 SEK 30.8K

$1,223 COP 4.4M

165.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

13.43

-69.02%

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

Last update for Tumba: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $842 in Tumba versus $482 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 $67.0 in Tumba versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $190 – 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

Tumba vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tumba is pricier by about 86%, 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 $2,842 per month in Tumba and $1,525 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 $67.0 in Tumba and $33.00 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 $1,895 in Tumba and $1,017 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Tumba at $1,895. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tumba 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, Tumba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.