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: $3,653 in Basel versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Basel is roughly 261% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Basel is 173% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.24

$5.99 COP 21.3K

412.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$32.86 COP 116.9K

373.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.28

$7.09 COP 25.2K

173.20%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.33

$1.71 COP 6,093

294.74%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$1.10 COP 3,910

415.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$0.78 COP 2,771

543.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.96

$1.68 COP 5,976

500.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.88

$3.07 COP 10.9K

142.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$1.09 COP 3,892

105.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.95

$1.26 COP 4,492

196.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$1.38 COP 4,905

261.59%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$2.19 COP 7,799

272.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.62

$4.40 COP 15.7K

551.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.36

$5.63 COP 20.0K

538.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.03

$8.89 COP 31.6K

385.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$2.34 COP 8,319

70.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$1.06 COP 3,764

145.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$1.50 COP 5,355

182.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$1.38 COP 4,906

404.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$1.15 COP 4,097

180.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$1.16 COP 4,141

153.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$0.89 COP 3,170

182.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$0.84 COP 2,986

84.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.22

$2.28 COP 8,116

412.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.90

$10.64 COP 37.9K

29.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.89

$1.20 COP 4,268

99.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$2.47 COP 8,793

27.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$0.86 COP 3,045

432.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.5

$41.40 COP 147.3K

152.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.31

$1.47 COP 5,245

443.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$1.96 COP 6,984

119.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$7.74 COP 27.5K

1026.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$0.95 COP 3,397

134.74%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

122.86%

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

$44.3K CHF 35.0K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

67.30%

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

$306 CHF 242

$82.3 COP 292.7K

272.17%

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

$53.5 CHF 42.24

$9.50 COP 33.8K

463.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.44

$24.23 COP 86.2K

142.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$25.89 COP 92.1K

248.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.54

$19.00 COP 67.6K

123.68%

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.93

$3.93 COP 14.0K

478.12%

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

$2,574 CHF 2,031

$309 COP 1.1M

731.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$5,965 COP 21.2M

469.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$58.7 COP 208.7K

127.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.7

$32.35 COP 115.1K

172.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$103 COP 365.1K

76.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$108 COP 385.8K

109.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,666

$476 COP 1.7M

343.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,199

$379 COP 1.3M

300.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,021

$838 COP 3.0M

356.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,211

$724 COP 2.6M

287.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.1K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

583.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

1076.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,544

$512 COP 1.8M

1520.25%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 1520% 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: $156 in Basel vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $188 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 261% 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.

Basel pays 1520% more on average, 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: $2,112 in Basel versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 263% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $3,653 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 $1,013 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 261% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.