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: $3,606 in Basel versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,819 in Basel versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,033 in Basel versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Basel is roughly 250% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Basel is 170% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.16 CHF 25.24

$6.16 COP 20.1K

405.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 125

$32.60 COP 106.1K

372.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.41 CHF 15.72

$7.34 COP 23.9K

164.44%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.45

$1.72 COP 5,599

291.28%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.43

$1.05 COP 3,420

420.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.22

$0.77 COP 2,515

576.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.82

$1.69 COP 5,487

471.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 CHF 5.92

$3.17 COP 10.3K

130.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$1.05 COP 3,423

110.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.14

$1.30 COP 4,236

197.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.20

$1.40 COP 4,544

270.71%

Eggs

$7.82 CHF 6.34

$2.16 COP 7,046

262.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.51 CHF 23.09

$4.39 COP 14.3K

549.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.76 CHF 29.78

$5.88 COP 19.1K

525.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.22 CHF 35.82

$8.64 COP 28.1K

411.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.16

$2.28 COP 7,425

71.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$1.11 COP 3,603

146.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.38

$1.53 COP 4,982

173.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.66

$1.35 COP 4,410

417.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$1.13 COP 3,674

188.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.41

$1.13 COP 3,692

163.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$0.85 COP 2,753

196.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$0.91 COP 2,975

63.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CHF 9.58

$2.34 COP 7,629

405.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.08

$12.37 COP 40.3K

10.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$1.20 COP 3,909

101.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$2.49 COP 8,104

22.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 CHF 3.86

$0.84 COP 2,727

466.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 85.1

$40.57 COP 132.1K

159.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.42

$1.42 COP 4,623

457.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.36 CHF 3.53

$1.92 COP 6,235

127.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 70.8

$7.66 COP 24.9K

1040.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$0.99 COP 3,223

122.22%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

126.24%

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

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

69.48%

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

$302 CHF 245

$80.8 COP 263.1K

273.89%

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

$54.0 CHF 43.74

$9.95 COP 32.4K

442.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 47.69

$24.18 COP 78.7K

143.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 73.6

$25.08 COP 81.6K

262.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.38 CHF 33.52

$19.15 COP 62.3K

116.08%

Cinema Ticket

$23.17 CHF 18.77

$3.98 COP 13.0K

482.16%

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

$2,533 CHF 2,052

$305 COP 993.4K

729.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

458.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$58.1 COP 189.2K

133.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.6 CHF 71.0

$32.20 COP 104.8K

172.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 CHF 146

$101 COP 327.9K

78.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 186

$108 COP 350.8K

113.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,704

$477 COP 1.6M

341.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CHF 1,224

$376 COP 1.2M

301.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,742 CHF 3,031

$845 COP 2.7M

342.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 CHF 2,292

$730 COP 2.4M

287.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

483.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$1,372 COP 4.5M

962.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,175 CHF 5,812

$617 COP 2.0M

1063.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

13.43

-81.01%

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

Last update for Basel: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,103 in Basel and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 1063% 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: $154 in Basel vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $692 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

Basel vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 250% 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 1063% 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: $2,103 in Basel versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,533 in Basel versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 259% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $3,606 in Basel, a $1,500 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 $1,031 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 250% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.