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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,924 per month in Tumba vs $1,641 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,018 per month in Tumba vs $2,447 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,113 per month in Tumba vs $3,253 in Medellin, rent included.

Tumba costs about 17% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tumba and Medellin sit above the global median – Tumba by 40%, Medellin by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.53 SEK 141

$8.04 COP 24.8K

80.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 SEK 668

$48.29 COP 148.6K

42.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 100

$9.42 COP 29.0K

9.77%

Cappuccino

$4.63 SEK 44.87

$2.94 COP 9,040

57.48%

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

$2.80 SEK 27.16

$1.86 COP 5,735

50.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 SEK 22.35

$1.46 COP 4,479

58.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.32 SEK 71.0

$3.21 COP 9,882

128.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 SEK 69.4

$5.71 COP 17.6K

25.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.71

$1.44 COP 4,428

19.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 SEK 31.47

$2.40 COP 7,389

35.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 SEK 37.73

$1.70 COP 5,228

128.82%

Eggs

$5.04 SEK 48.85

$2.89 COP 8,896

74.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.39 SEK 130

$10.06 COP 30.9K

33.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.51 SEK 131

$9.97 COP 30.7K

35.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.70 SEK 172

$14.20 COP 43.7K

24.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 SEK 32.26

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-16.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 SEK 26.77

$1.58 COP 4,878

74.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 SEK 20.51

$2.15 COP 6,624

-1.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 SEK 45.69

$2.30 COP 7,078

104.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 SEK 14.47

$2.00 COP 6,169

-25.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 SEK 17.30

$1.51 COP 4,646

17.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 SEK 22.21

$1.20 COP 3,701

90.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 SEK 18.30

$1.28 COP 3,946

47.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.38 SEK 71.5

$3.84 COP 11.8K

92.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.53 SEK 102

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-24.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SEK 19.37

$1.71 COP 5,256

16.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 SEK 22.20

$2.74 COP 8,440

-16.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 SEK 43.25

$1.25 COP 3,834

256.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 SEK 1,022

$77.9 COP 239.7K

35.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.01 SEK 58.2

$1.31 COP 4,016

358.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 SEK 14.96

$2.17 COP 6,680

-29.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.3 SEK 565

$8.29 COP 25.5K

602.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.51

$1.36 COP 4,172

33.09%

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

$34.7K SEK 336.2K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

26.23%

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

$33.5K SEK 324.4K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-8.41%

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

$185 SEK 1,793

$169 COP 519.2K

9.60%

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

$21.99 SEK 213

$13.57 COP 41.8K

62.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.36 SEK 479

$28.32 COP 87.2K

74.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.04 SEK 408

$45.71 COP 140.7K

-8.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 SEK 273

$17.22 COP 53.0K

63.70%

Cinema Ticket

$16.63 SEK 161

$6.65 COP 20.5K

150.08%

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

$169 SEK 1,639

$803 COP 2.5M

-78.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,210 SEK 50.5K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

-43.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 SEK 1,135

$87.4 COP 268.8K

33.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 SEK 531

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-7.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 SEK 958

$139 COP 427.5K

-28.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 SEK 1,959

$102 COP 314.0K

98.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 SEK 6,955

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-33.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$636 SEK 6,170

$653 COP 2.0M

-2.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 SEK 15.1K

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-18.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$963 SEK 9,338

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-8.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,958 SEK 38.4K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-3.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,729 SEK 26.5K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

60.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

10.94

-70.75%

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

Last update for Tumba: September 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $717 in Tumba versus $1,071 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 $69.0 in Tumba versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $300 – 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 17%, 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 $2,886 per month in Tumba and $2,462 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 $69.0 in Tumba 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 $1,924 in Tumba and $1,641 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 $1,641, than in Tumba at $1,924. 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.