Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,409 in Bern versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,182 in Bern versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,955 in Bern versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Bern is roughly 231% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bern is 155% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.49 CHF 23.08

$6.16 COP 20.1K

362.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 CHF 87.4

$32.60 COP 106.1K

230.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.15 CHF 13.89

$7.34 COP 23.9K

133.65%

Cappuccino

$5.75 CHF 4.65

$1.72 COP 5,599

234.30%

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

$4.76 CHF 3.85

$1.05 COP 3,420

353.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CHF 3.87

$0.77 COP 2,515

520.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 CHF 6.62

$1.69 COP 5,487

384.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 CHF 5.03

$3.17 COP 10.3K

95.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$1.05 COP 3,423

111.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 CHF 2.69

$1.30 COP 4,236

156.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 CHF 3.45

$1.40 COP 4,544

204.29%

Eggs

$7.09 CHF 5.74

$2.16 COP 7,046

228.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 23.22

$4.39 COP 14.3K

553.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.86 CHF 29.04

$5.88 COP 19.1K

509.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.00 CHF 33.21

$8.64 COP 28.1K

374.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 CHF 2.73

$2.28 COP 7,425

48.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$1.11 COP 3,603

101.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.23

$1.53 COP 4,982

80.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.87 CHF 5.56

$1.35 COP 4,410

408.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.76

$1.13 COP 3,674

92.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.73

$1.13 COP 3,692

88.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CHF 1.97

$0.85 COP 2,753

185.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CHF 0.93

$0.91 COP 2,975

26.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.52 CHF 9.33

$2.34 COP 7,629

392.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 CHF 9.88

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CHF 1.59

$1.20 COP 3,909

63.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CHF 1.85

$2.49 COP 8,104

-8.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 CHF 3.03

$0.84 COP 2,727

345.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.5 CHF 79.8

$40.57 COP 132.1K

142.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 CHF 6.51

$1.42 COP 4,623

466.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.44 CHF 3.60

$1.92 COP 6,235

131.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.5 CHF 74.1

$7.66 COP 24.9K

1094.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.79

$0.99 COP 3,223

124.24%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.3K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

127.96%

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

$58.3K CHF 47.2K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

118.92%

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

$367 CHF 297

$80.8 COP 263.1K

354.10%

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

$58.3 CHF 47.24

$9.95 COP 32.4K

486.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CHF 47.04

$24.18 COP 78.7K

140.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.1 CHF 65.7

$25.08 COP 81.6K

223.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.39 CHF 37.58

$19.15 COP 62.3K

142.25%

Cinema Ticket

$24.71 CHF 20.02

$3.98 COP 13.0K

520.85%

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

$3,315 CHF 2,685

$305 COP 993.4K

986.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.1K CHF 32.5K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

561.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$154 CHF 125

$58.1 COP 189.2K

165.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 CHF 56.0

$32.20 COP 104.8K

114.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 141

$101 COP 327.9K

72.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 CHF 153

$108 COP 350.8K

75.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 CHF 1,516

$477 COP 1.6M

292.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 CHF 1,040

$376 COP 1.2M

241.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,197 CHF 2,589

$845 COP 2.7M

278.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,412 CHF 1,954

$730 COP 2.4M

230.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

496.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

$1,372 COP 4.5M

1018.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,080 CHF 5,735

$617 COP 2.0M

1047.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.52

13.43

-81.24%

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

Last update for Bern: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,871 in Bern and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 1048% 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: $108 in Bern vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $638 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

Bern vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 231% lower than in Bern. 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 1048% higher in Bern, 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: $1,871 in Bern versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $108 in Bern. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,409 per month in Bern versus $1,031 in Medellin – a 231% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $3,409 in Bern, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bern. 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, Bern 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 231% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.