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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,870 per month in Tumba vs $1,018 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in Tumba vs $1,609 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,982 per month in Tumba vs $2,200 in Medellin, rent included.

Tumba costs about 84% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Tumba sits 40% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 SEK 144

$5.93 COP 19.1K

149.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.9 SEK 659

$33.12 COP 106.6K

105.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 SEK 103

$7.12 COP 22.9K

49.44%

Cappuccino

$4.50 SEK 43.74

$1.71 COP 5,487

163.16%

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

$2.68 SEK 26.00

$1.05 COP 3,374

155.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 23.98

$0.72 COP 2,324

243.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 SEK 71.0

$1.72 COP 5,531

325.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 SEK 72.3

$3.17 COP 10.2K

135.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SEK 16.61

$1.06 COP 3,426

61.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 SEK 29.91

$1.31 COP 4,215

135.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 SEK 38.28

$1.33 COP 4,279

196.24%

Eggs

$3.88 SEK 37.70

$2.28 COP 7,338

70.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.93 SEK 126

$4.42 COP 14.2K

192.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.08 SEK 127

$5.92 COP 19.0K

120.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.40 SEK 150

$8.64 COP 27.8K

78.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 SEK 34.91

$2.34 COP 7,545

53.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 26.23

$1.10 COP 3,546

145.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 15.45

$1.47 COP 4,724

8.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 SEK 44.30

$1.38 COP 4,439

230.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 SEK 15.24

$1.17 COP 3,774

34.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.64

$1.17 COP 3,765

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 SEK 24.29

$0.90 COP 2,905

177.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 SEK 15.85

$0.84 COP 2,708

94.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.29 SEK 70.8

$2.33 COP 7,490

212.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.48 SEK 102

$11.92 COP 38.3K

-12.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 SEK 16.75

$1.15 COP 3,693

49.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 SEK 19.20

$2.42 COP 7,791

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 SEK 44.23

$0.84 COP 2,702

441.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 SEK 1,031

$40.83 COP 131.4K

159.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 SEK 59.6

$1.41 COP 4,541

335.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 SEK 12.02

$1.91 COP 6,160

-35.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.83 SEK 202

$7.83 COP 25.2K

166.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 SEK 19.37

$0.94 COP 3,037

111.70%

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

$32.5K SEK 315.7K

$17.8K COP 57.3M

82.46%

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

$34.9K SEK 338.9K

$27.1K COP 87.1M

28.84%

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

$113 SEK 1,096

$83.3 COP 267.9K

35.59%

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

$28.97 SEK 281

$9.66 COP 31.1K

199.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.53 SEK 413

$24.22 COP 77.9K

75.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.28 SEK 420

$25.22 COP 81.2K

71.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.13 SEK 244

$19.33 COP 62.2K

30.01%

Cinema Ticket

$16.38 SEK 159

$4.07 COP 13.1K

302.46%

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

$143 SEK 1,387

$307 COP 986.5K

-53.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 40.9K

$5,981 COP 19.2M

-29.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 SEK 1,031

$60.0 COP 192.9K

77.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.52 SEK 423

$32.65 COP 105.1K

33.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 SEK 1,126

$101 COP 325.2K

14.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 SEK 1,504

$108 COP 347.6K

43.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 SEK 8,306

$476 COP 1.5M

79.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 SEK 6,477

$379 COP 1.2M

76.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 SEK 13.3K

$816 COP 2.6M

68.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 SEK 10.6K

$707 COP 2.3M

54.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,528 SEK 44.0K

$3,190 COP 10.3M

41.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,876 SEK 27.9K

$1,446 COP 4.7M

98.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $855 in Tumba versus $476 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 $68.0 in Tumba versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $192 – 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 84%, 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 $2,804 per month in Tumba and $1,527 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 $68.0 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 $1,870 in Tumba and $1,018 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 $1,018, than in Tumba at $1,870. 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.