Cost of Living Comparison Between Ascona and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ascona and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,337 in Ascona versus $1,018 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,100 in Ascona versus $1,609 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,864 in Ascona versus $2,200 in Medellin.

Living in Ascona is roughly 228% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ascona is 150% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.27 CHF 18.21

$5.93 COP 19.1K

275.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$169 CHF 138

$33.12 COP 106.6K

410.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.93 CHF 15.48

$7.12 COP 22.9K

165.87%

Cappuccino

$4.43 CHF 3.63

$1.71 COP 5,487

159.06%

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

$6.20 CHF 5.07

$1.05 COP 3,374

490.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.40

$0.72 COP 2,324

647.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.64 CHF 8.70

$1.72 COP 5,531

518.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CHF 5.93

$3.17 COP 10.2K

129.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.79

$1.06 COP 3,426

105.66%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 CHF 3.30

$1.31 COP 4,215

208.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.99

$1.33 COP 4,279

83.46%

Eggs

$5.35 CHF 4.37

$2.28 COP 7,338

134.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.54 CHF 10.26

$4.42 COP 14.2K

183.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.31 CHF 13.33

$5.92 COP 19.0K

175.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.76 CHF 36.60

$8.64 COP 27.8K

418.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 CHF 3.03

$2.34 COP 7,545

58.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.76

$1.10 COP 3,546

96.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.23

$1.47 COP 4,724

85.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.21 CHF 5.90

$1.38 COP 4,439

422.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.88

$1.17 COP 3,774

96.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 CHF 2.06

$1.17 COP 3,765

114.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.15

$0.90 COP 2,905

192.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CHF 1.34

$0.84 COP 2,708

95.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.39 CHF 8.49

$2.33 COP 7,490

345.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.69 CHF 15.28

$11.92 COP 38.3K

56.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.94 CHF 3.23

$1.15 COP 3,693

242.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 CHF 3.47

$2.42 COP 7,791

75.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 CHF 2.61

$0.84 COP 2,702

279.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.8 CHF 79.1

$40.83 COP 131.4K

137.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.40 CHF 6.86

$1.41 COP 4,541

495.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.66 CHF 4.63

$1.91 COP 6,160

196.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.1 CHF 71.3

$7.83 COP 25.2K

1012.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.78

$0.94 COP 3,037

131.91%

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

$41.0K CHF 33.5K

$17.8K COP 57.3M

130.27%

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

$42.1K CHF 34.4K

$27.1K COP 87.1M

55.28%

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

$290 CHF 237

$83.3 COP 267.9K

247.90%

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

$68.4 CHF 55.9

$9.66 COP 31.1K

608.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 CHF 48.51

$24.22 COP 77.9K

144.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 CHF 50.3

$25.22 COP 81.2K

143.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.2K

Cinema Ticket

$23.32 CHF 19.07

$4.07 COP 13.1K

472.97%

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

$4,042 CHF 3,305

$307 COP 986.5K

1218.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.8K CHF 33.4K

$5,981 COP 19.2M

582.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 CHF 88.4

$60.0 COP 192.9K

80.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 CHF 43.38

$32.65 COP 105.1K

62.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 CHF 127

$101 COP 325.2K

53.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$190 CHF 155

$108 COP 347.6K

75.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 CHF 1,315

$476 COP 1.5M

237.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 CHF 1,206

$379 COP 1.2M

289.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,847 CHF 2,328

$816 COP 2.6M

248.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,473 CHF 2,022

$707 COP 2.3M

249.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

13.43

-81.38%

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

Last update for Ascona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Ascona and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $169 in Ascona vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $533 vs $192 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Ascona vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ascona and Medellin differ by about 228% in total monthly costs ($3,337 vs $1,018 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,006 in Ascona and $1,527 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Ascona versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 137% less than in Ascona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $4,042 in Ascona versus $307 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,018 in Medellin versus $3,337 in Ascona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ascona. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ascona and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 228% less than in Ascona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.