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: $3,264 in Ascona versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,057 in Ascona versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,850 in Ascona versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Ascona is roughly 221% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ascona is 143% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.23 CHF 17.77

$5.95 COP 21.2K

273.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$167 CHF 134

$33.33 COP 118.9K

401.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.77 CHF 15.00

$7.23 COP 25.8K

159.61%

Cappuccino

$4.18 CHF 3.34

$1.63 COP 5,811

156.44%

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

$6.13 CHF 4.90

$1.09 COP 3,904

462.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 CHF 4.49

$0.73 COP 2,604

669.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.34 CHF 8.26

$1.74 COP 6,197

494.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 CHF 5.87

$3.23 COP 11.5K

127.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.77

$1.05 COP 3,742

111.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.89 CHF 3.11

$1.29 COP 4,614

201.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.95

$1.32 COP 4,718

84.85%

Eggs

$5.51 CHF 4.40

$2.27 COP 8,101

142.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.51 CHF 10.00

$4.35 COP 15.5K

187.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.25 CHF 12.99

$5.88 COP 21.0K

176.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.61 CHF 34.86

$8.61 COP 30.7K

406.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 CHF 3.02

$2.25 COP 8,015

68.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.72

$1.07 COP 3,814

100.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 CHF 2.30

$1.52 COP 5,438

89.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 CHF 5.69

$1.42 COP 5,073

401.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.88

$1.17 COP 4,173

100.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.95

$1.17 COP 4,166

108.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CHF 2.04

$0.89 COP 3,163

186.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CHF 1.28

$0.90 COP 3,215

77.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.58 CHF 8.45

$2.25 COP 8,008

370.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.98 CHF 15.17

$11.04 COP 39.4K

71.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.97 CHF 3.17

$1.14 COP 4,063

248.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 CHF 3.38

$2.38 COP 8,483

77.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 CHF 2.49

$0.84 COP 2,979

271.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.1 CHF 78.4

$41.95 COP 149.6K

133.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 CHF 6.98

$1.41 COP 5,019

519.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.60 CHF 4.48

$1.90 COP 6,779

194.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.5 CHF 69.1

$7.75 COP 27.6K

1015.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.70

$1.01 COP 3,586

110.89%

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

$39.8K CHF 31.8K

$17.6K COP 62.7M

126.21%

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

$42.6K CHF 34.0K

$26.5K COP 94.5M

60.66%

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

$298 CHF 238

$83.7 COP 298.4K

256.41%

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

$67.8 CHF 54.2

$9.45 COP 33.7K

617.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 CHF 47.73

$24.11 COP 86.0K

147.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.3 CHF 49.80

$25.31 COP 90.3K

146.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 68.3K

Cinema Ticket

$23.68 CHF 18.93

$4.10 COP 14.6K

477.56%

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

$4,083 CHF 3,264

$312 COP 1.1M

1208.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.9K CHF 32.7K

$5,993 COP 21.4M

581.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 CHF 87.3

$58.0 COP 207.0K

88.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 CHF 43.03

$32.56 COP 116.1K

65.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$152 CHF 122

$99.6 COP 355.3K

52.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 147

$109 COP 387.1K

69.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 CHF 1,276

$482 COP 1.7M

230.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 CHF 1,156

$379 COP 1.4M

281.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,809 CHF 2,245

$837 COP 3.0M

235.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,480 CHF 1,982

$723 COP 2.6M

242.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 10.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,596 in Ascona and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $167 in Ascona vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $529 vs $190 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 221% in total monthly costs ($3,264 vs $1,017 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,896 in Ascona and $1,525 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: $1,596 in Ascona versus $482 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 134% less than in Ascona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $4,083 in Ascona versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $3,264 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 221% less than in Ascona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.