Cost of Living Comparison Between Balzers and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Balzers and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,199 in Balzers versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,094 in Balzers versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,989 in Balzers versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Balzers is roughly 210% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Balzers is 139% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.30 CHF 25.31

$6.16 COP 20.1K

408.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 101

$32.60 COP 106.1K

283.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.82 CHF 17.64

$7.34 COP 23.9K

197.28%

Cappuccino

$5.55 CHF 4.49

$1.72 COP 5,600

222.67%

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

$6.27 CHF 5.07

$1.05 COP 3,420

497.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 CHF 4.38

$0.77 COP 2,515

603.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.45 CHF 6.02

$1.69 COP 5,488

340.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 CHF 6.11

$3.17 COP 10.3K

138.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 CHF 2.20

$1.05 COP 3,423

160.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 CHF 2.43

$1.30 COP 4,236

130.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 CHF 2.24

$1.40 COP 4,544

97.86%

Eggs

$11.96 CHF 9.67

$2.16 COP 7,047

453.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.61 CHF 20.71

$4.39 COP 14.3K

483.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$23.71 CHF 19.17

$5.88 COP 19.1K

303.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.3 CHF 40.69

$8.64 COP 28.1K

482.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 CHF 2.83

$2.28 COP 7,426

53.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.80 CHF 3.07

$1.11 COP 3,604

242.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 CHF 3.24

$1.53 COP 4,983

161.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 CHF 2.14

$1.35 COP 4,410

95.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.94

$1.13 COP 3,674

112.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$1.13 COP 3,692

93.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 CHF 1.70

$0.85 COP 2,753

147.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 CHF 1.37

$0.91 COP 2,975

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.53 CHF 10.13

$2.34 COP 7,630

435.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.14 CHF 11.43

$12.37 COP 40.3K

14.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 CHF 1.64

$1.20 COP 3,909

69.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 CHF 1.43

$2.49 COP 8,104

-28.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.44 CHF 2.78

$0.84 COP 2,728

309.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 CHF 69.0

$40.57 COP 132.1K

110.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 CHF 1.42

$1.42 COP 4,623

23.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.88 CHF 7.18

$7.66 COP 24.9K

15.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$0.99 COP 3,223

123.23%

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

$35.7K CHF 28.9K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

98.01%

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

$33.1K CHF 26.7K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

24.21%

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

$221 CHF 178

$80.8 COP 263.1K

172.87%

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

$40.64 CHF 32.86

$9.95 COP 32.4K

308.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 CHF 58.6

$24.18 COP 78.7K

199.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.2 CHF 74.6

$25.08 COP 81.7K

267.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 CHF 20.13

$19.15 COP 62.3K

30.03%

Cinema Ticket

$24.43 CHF 19.75

$3.98 COP 13.0K

513.82%

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

$307 CHF 248

$305 COP 993.5K

0.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,050 CHF 7,317

$6,059 COP 19.7M

49.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 CHF 103

$58.1 COP 189.2K

118.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 CHF 42.55

$32.20 COP 104.8K

63.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$176 CHF 142

$101 COP 327.9K

74.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$226 CHF 182

$108 COP 350.8K

109.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 CHF 810

$477 COP 1.6M

110.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 CHF 1,044

$376 COP 1.2M

243.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,922 CHF 2,362

$845 COP 2.7M

245.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,390 CHF 1,933

$730 COP 2.4M

227.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.6K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

424.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,216 CHF 4,217

$1,372 COP 4.5M

280.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,820 CHF 7,131

$617 COP 2.0M

1330.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.55

13.43

-43.78%

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

Last update for Balzers: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,002 in Balzers and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balzers pays 1330% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $125 in Balzers vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $614 vs $193 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

Balzers vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 210% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1330% higher in Balzers, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,002 in Balzers versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 218% higher in Balzers. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $125 in Balzers. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $3,199 in Balzers, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Balzers. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Balzers, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Balzers 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 210% less than in Balzers. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.