Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,794 in Aarau, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,794

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aarau 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 Aarau and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,794 per month in Aarau vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Aarau $2,794
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $4,568 per month in Aarau vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Aarau $4,568
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $6,342 per month in Aarau vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Aarau $6,342
Medellin $3,190

Aarau costs about 73% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Aarau and Medellin sit above the global median – Aarau by 107%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.07 CHF 23.94

$7.93 COP 25.2K

266.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 CHF 87.6

$46.13 COP 146.3K

130.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.63 CHF 14.52

$9.50 COP 30.1K

85.58%

Cappuccino

$5.80 CHF 4.78

$3.11 COP 9,866

86.50%

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

$5.22 CHF 4.30

$1.83 COP 5,800

185.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.87

$1.38 COP 4,360

240.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 CHF 5.06

$3.05 COP 9,672

101.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 CHF 5.44

$5.50 COP 17.4K

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CHF 1.69

$1.45 COP 4,600

41.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 CHF 2.98

$2.36 COP 7,496

53.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 CHF 2.13

$1.68 COP 5,328

54.17%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.95

$2.86 COP 9,077

152.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.30 CHF 24.96

$10.19 COP 32.3K

197.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.34 CHF 24.16

$9.53 COP 30.2K

207.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.30 CHF 33.19

$14.04 COP 44.5K

187.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.38

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-28.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.46

$1.50 COP 4,742

18.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 2.01

$2.17 COP 6,891

12.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 CHF 4.53

$2.31 COP 7,310

138.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$1.93 COP 6,113

-13.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$1.64 COP 5,196

19.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$1.13 COP 3,571

101.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CHF 0.98

$1.25 COP 3,954

-4.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.86 CHF 8.94

$3.99 COP 12.6K

172.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 CHF 8.41

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-23.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.05

$1.70 COP 5,384

46.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$2.37 COP 7,525

20.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.11 CHF 4.20

$1.21 COP 3,827

322.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$146 CHF 120

$76.5 COP 242.5K

91.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 CHF 5.64

$1.32 COP 4,179

418.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 CHF 2.74

$2.14 COP 6,774

55.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.8 CHF 48.45

$8.47 COP 26.8K

594.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$1.30 COP 4,114

70.77%

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

$42.9K CHF 35.4K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

53.37%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

10.92%

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

$120 CHF 98.9

$172 COP 545.6K

-30.21%

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

$30.84 CHF 25.40

$13.37 COP 42.4K

130.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 CHF 45.84

$28.73 COP 91.1K

93.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.9 CHF 80.6

$45.24 COP 143.5K

116.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.6 CHF 49.04

$17.04 COP 54.0K

249.47%

Cinema Ticket

$21.42 CHF 17.64

$6.28 COP 19.9K

241.08%

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

$3,152 CHF 2,596

$770 COP 2.4M

309.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

259.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 CHF 73.0

$86.4 COP 274.0K

2.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.6 CHF 58.2

$57.1 COP 181.1K

23.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 CHF 90.1

$137 COP 432.9K

-19.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 CHF 140

$97.9 COP 310.4K

73.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 CHF 1,052

$1,055 COP 3.3M

21.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 CHF 851

$616 COP 2.0M

67.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,290 CHF 1,886

$1,892 COP 6.0M

21.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 CHF 1,742

$1,023 COP 3.2M

106.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K CHF 9,759

$1,678 COP 5.3M

606.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,801 CHF 5,601

$652 COP 2.1M

942.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

10.94

-78.88%

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

Last update for Aarau: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aarau

$1K 37%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 40.4% $417

Groceries & Markets

Aarau

$588 21%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 49.9% $293

Eating Out

Aarau

$439 15.7%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 61.6% $270

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aarau

$207 7.4%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 3.7% $7.6

Clothing & Footwear

Aarau

$197 7.1%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 13.7% $27

Getting Around

Aarau

$190 6.8%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 50.9% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Aarau

$141 5%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 58.9% $83

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,277 in Aarau 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 942% higher in Aarau, 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 $106 in Aarau versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $588 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Aarau

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

17:36 5:36 PM

7 h behind Aarau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,191

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 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 CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Aarau Medellin 9,020 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Aarau
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

Aarau vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aarau costs about 73% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,191 per month in Aarau 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.

Public transport costs about 91% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,152 per month in Aarau and $770 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Aarau at $2,794. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aarau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,614 versus $2,794 in Aarau. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Aarau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.