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: $3,425 in Bern versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,268 in Bern versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,111 in Bern versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Bern is roughly 109% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 148% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.53 CHF 23.28

$8.04 COP 24.8K

254.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 99.7

$48.29 COP 148.6K

152.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.03 CHF 13.08

$9.42 COP 29.0K

70.17%

Cappuccino

$7.11 CHF 5.80

$2.94 COP 9,040

141.84%

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

$6.27 CHF 5.11

$1.86 COP 5,735

237.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.22 CHF 5.89

$1.46 COP 4,479

394.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.04 CHF 7.38

$3.21 COP 9,882

181.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.11 CHF 6.62

$5.71 COP 17.6K

42.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.78

$1.44 COP 4,428

52.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 CHF 2.52

$2.40 COP 7,389

28.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 CHF 2.75

$1.70 COP 5,228

98.24%

Eggs

$8.26 CHF 6.74

$2.89 COP 8,896

185.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.95 CHF 20.36

$10.06 COP 30.9K

148.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.27 CHF 24.70

$9.97 COP 30.7K

203.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.33 CHF 32.92

$14.20 COP 43.7K

184.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 CHF 3.18

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-2.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.71

$1.58 COP 4,878

32.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 CHF 2.17

$2.15 COP 6,624

23.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 CHF 3.72

$2.30 COP 7,078

98.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 CHF 1.34

$2.00 COP 6,169

-18.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.66

$1.51 COP 4,646

35.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 CHF 1.82

$1.20 COP 3,701

85.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 CHF 1.12

$1.28 COP 3,946

7.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.60 CHF 9.47

$3.84 COP 11.8K

202.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 CHF 10.15

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-11.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CHF 1.91

$1.71 COP 5,256

36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CHF 2.52

$2.74 COP 8,440

12.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.58 CHF 5.37

$1.25 COP 3,834

426.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 CHF 83.8

$77.9 COP 239.7K

31.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.34 CHF 6.81

$1.31 COP 4,016

536.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.65 CHF 3.79

$2.17 COP 6,680

114.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$111 CHF 90.3

$8.29 COP 25.5K

1233.90%

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)

$44.0K CHF 35.9K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

60.19%

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

$40.3K CHF 32.9K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

10.17%

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

$283 CHF 231

$169 COP 519.2K

67.67%

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

$28.16 CHF 22.98

$13.57 COP 41.8K

107.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 CHF 45.47

$28.32 COP 87.2K

96.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.6 CHF 74.0

$45.71 COP 140.7K

98.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.75 CHF 39.79

$17.22 COP 53.0K

183.10%

Cinema Ticket

$25.02 CHF 20.42

$6.65 COP 20.5K

276.24%

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

$3,217 CHF 2,625

$803 COP 2.5M

300.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.8K CHF 25.1K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

235.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 120

$87.4 COP 268.8K

67.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.2 CHF 50.7

$59.4 COP 182.7K

4.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 CHF 133

$139 COP 427.5K

17.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$200 CHF 163

$102 COP 314.0K

96.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 CHF 1,534

$1,071 COP 3.3M

75.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,478 CHF 1,206

$653 COP 2.0M

126.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,570 CHF 2,914

$1,925 COP 5.9M

85.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,604 CHF 2,125

$1,048 COP 3.2M

148.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.5K CHF 15.9K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

372.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.4K CHF 12.6K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

809.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,794 CHF 5,545

$655 COP 2.0M

937.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

10.94

-77.51%

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

Last update for Bern: September 5, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,879 in Bern and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 937% 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: $122 in Bern vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $589 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

Bern vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 109% 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 937% 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: $1,879 in Bern versus $1,071 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 $48.00 versus $122 in Bern. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,425 per month in Bern versus $1,641 in Medellin – a 109% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $3,425 in Bern, a $2,500 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 $1,641 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 109% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.