Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,544 in Basel versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,518 in Basel versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,492 in Basel versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Basel is roughly 116% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 157% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.93 CHF 24.42

$8.04 COP 24.8K

272.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

$48.29 COP 148.6K

159.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.69 CHF 15.25

$9.42 COP 29.0K

98.41%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.49

$2.94 COP 9,040

128.91%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.17

$1.86 COP 5,735

240.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CHF 4.78

$1.46 COP 4,479

301.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.62

$3.21 COP 9,882

190.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 CHF 8.22

$5.71 COP 17.6K

76.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$1.44 COP 4,428

61.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 CHF 2.49

$2.40 COP 7,389

27.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.71

$1.70 COP 5,228

95.29%

Eggs

$8.34 CHF 6.80

$2.89 COP 8,896

188.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.21 CHF 21.39

$10.06 COP 30.9K

160.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.85 CHF 22.73

$9.97 COP 30.7K

179.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.56 CHF 34.73

$14.20 COP 43.7K

199.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.99

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-8.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.96

$1.58 COP 4,878

51.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.44

$2.15 COP 6,624

39.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 CHF 3.94

$2.30 COP 7,078

110.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.46

$2.00 COP 6,169

-10.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.59

$1.51 COP 4,646

29.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

$1.20 COP 3,701

94.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.28 COP 3,946

29.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.49

$3.84 COP 11.8K

202.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 CHF 9.99

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-12.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$1.71 COP 5,256

45.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.59

$2.74 COP 8,440

16.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 CHF 3.63

$1.25 COP 3,834

255.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 88.3

$77.9 COP 239.7K

38.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.52

$1.31 COP 4,016

509.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.59 CHF 3.75

$2.17 COP 6,680

111.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 71.8

$8.29 COP 25.5K

961.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.87

$1.36 COP 4,172

68.38%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

61.02%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

8.48%

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

$299 CHF 244

$169 COP 519.2K

76.94%

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

$53.3 CHF 43.47

$13.57 COP 41.8K

292.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CHF 53.9

$28.32 COP 87.2K

133.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.8 CHF 70.0

$45.71 COP 140.7K

87.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 48.17

$17.22 COP 53.0K

242.80%

Cinema Ticket

$23.81 CHF 19.44

$6.65 COP 20.5K

258.05%

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

$3,026 CHF 2,470

$803 COP 2.5M

276.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

261.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 120

$87.4 COP 268.8K

67.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.6 CHF 66.6

$59.4 COP 182.7K

37.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 134

$139 COP 427.5K

17.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 162

$102 COP 314.0K

94.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 CHF 1,747

$1,071 COP 3.3M

99.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CHF 1,247

$653 COP 2.0M

133.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,950

$1,925 COP 5.9M

87.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,358

$1,048 COP 3.2M

175.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

346.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

755.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,987

$655 COP 2.0M

1019.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

10.94

-77.79%

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

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,141 in Basel and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 1020% 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 Basel vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $597 vs $300 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

Basel vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 116% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1020% higher in Basel, 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: $2,141 in Basel versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,026 in Basel versus $803 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $3,544 in Basel, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Basel. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,641 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel 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 116% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.