Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Altstätten and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,362 in Altstätten, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Altstätten
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Altstätten Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Altstätten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,362

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,362 per month in Altstätten vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Altstätten $3,362
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $5,134 per month in Altstätten vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Altstätten $5,134
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $6,905 per month in Altstätten vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Altstätten $6,905
Medellin $3,190

Altstätten costs about 108% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Altstätten and Medellin sit above the global median – Altstätten by 149%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.51 CHF 24.30

$7.93 COP 25.2K

272.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 CHF 97.2

$46.13 COP 146.3K

155.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.80 CHF 14.66

$9.50 COP 30.1K

87.37%

Cappuccino

$5.94 CHF 4.89

$3.11 COP 9,866

91.00%

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

$5.13 CHF 4.22

$1.83 COP 5,800

180.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 CHF 4.01

$1.38 COP 4,360

252.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.25 CHF 7.62

$3.05 COP 9,672

203.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 CHF 6.03

$5.50 COP 17.4K

33.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$1.45 COP 4,600

51.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 CHF 2.93

$2.36 COP 7,496

50.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.03

$1.68 COP 5,328

119.05%

Eggs

$7.71 CHF 6.35

$2.86 COP 9,077

169.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.63 CHF 21.11

$10.19 COP 32.3K

151.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.49 CHF 23.47

$9.53 COP 30.2K

198.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.80 CHF 33.60

$14.04 COP 44.5K

190.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.96

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-11.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.67

$1.50 COP 4,742

35.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.21

$2.17 COP 6,891

23.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 CHF 3.91

$2.31 COP 7,310

105.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 CHF 1.52

$1.93 COP 6,113

-4.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$1.64 COP 5,196

28.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$1.13 COP 3,571

96.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.07

$1.25 COP 3,954

3.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 CHF 8.83

$3.99 COP 12.6K

168.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 CHF 10.63

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-3.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 CHF 2.32

$1.70 COP 5,384

65.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.56

$2.37 COP 7,525

31.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.63 CHF 3.81

$1.21 COP 3,827

282.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 82.7

$76.5 COP 242.5K

31.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 CHF 6.15

$1.32 COP 4,179

465.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.66 CHF 3.84

$2.14 COP 6,774

117.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.3 CHF 61.2

$8.47 COP 26.8K

777.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.84

$1.30 COP 4,114

72.31%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

44.78%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

11.76%

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

$277 CHF 228

$172 COP 545.6K

60.92%

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

$32.44 CHF 26.72

$13.37 COP 42.4K

142.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 CHF 45.95

$28.73 COP 91.1K

94.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.5 CHF 75.4

$45.24 COP 143.5K

102.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.93 CHF 37.01

$17.04 COP 54.0K

163.67%

Cinema Ticket

$22.65 CHF 18.66

$6.28 COP 19.9K

260.67%

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

$2,646 CHF 2,179

$770 COP 2.4M

243.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.1K CHF 28.1K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

278.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 118

$86.4 COP 274.0K

65.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 CHF 47.30

$57.1 COP 181.1K

0.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 123

$137 COP 432.9K

9.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 152

$97.9 COP 310.4K

88.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 CHF 1,374

$1,055 COP 3.3M

58.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 CHF 1,168

$616 COP 2.0M

130.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,362

$1,892 COP 6.0M

51.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,429 CHF 2,000

$1,023 COP 3.2M

137.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

286.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 10.0K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

624.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

10.94

-81.08%

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

Last update for Altstätten: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Altstätten

$1.4K 42.2%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 56.6% $803

Groceries & Markets

Altstätten

$590 17.5%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 50% $295

Eating Out

Altstätten

$462 13.7%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 63.5% $293

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Altstätten

$365 10.9%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 41.3% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Altstätten

$241 7.2%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 29.3% $71

Getting Around

Altstätten

$150 4.5%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 37.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Altstätten

$137 4.1%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 57.8% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Altstätten 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Altstätten versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $590 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Altstätten

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

22:36 10:36 PM

7 h behind Altstätten

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,145

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 20, 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 20, 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

Altstätten Medellin 9,130 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Altstätten
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

Altstätten vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Altstätten is pricier by about 108%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,043 per month in Altstätten 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,362 in Altstätten and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 108%.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Altstätten at $3,362. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Altstätten 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, Altstätten makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.