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: $3,430 in Bern versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,248 in Bern versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,066 in Bern versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Bern is roughly 239% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bern is 156% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.70 CHF 21.86

$5.99 COP 21.3K

362.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 CHF 84.6

$32.86 COP 116.9K

226.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.47 CHF 13.79

$7.09 COP 25.2K

146.40%

Cappuccino

$5.86 CHF 4.63

$1.71 COP 6,093

242.69%

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

$4.83 CHF 3.81

$1.10 COP 3,910

339.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 CHF 3.66

$0.78 COP 2,771

494.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.38 CHF 6.62

$1.68 COP 5,976

398.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 CHF 4.94

$3.07 COP 10.9K

103.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.75

$1.09 COP 3,892

103.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 CHF 2.58

$1.26 COP 4,492

159.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.27

$1.38 COP 4,905

200.72%

Eggs

$7.10 CHF 5.60

$2.19 COP 7,799

224.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.95 CHF 22.06

$4.40 COP 15.7K

535.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.50 CHF 28.01

$5.63 COP 20.0K

530.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.05 CHF 32.39

$8.89 COP 31.6K

361.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.80

$2.34 COP 8,319

51.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 CHF 1.74

$1.06 COP 3,764

107.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.16

$1.50 COP 5,355

82.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.51

$1.38 COP 4,906

406.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$1.15 COP 4,097

94.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$1.16 COP 4,141

85.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CHF 1.91

$0.89 COP 3,170

171.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CHF 0.90

$0.84 COP 2,986

35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 CHF 8.99

$2.28 COP 8,116

399.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.80 CHF 10.10

$10.64 COP 37.9K

20.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CHF 1.55

$1.20 COP 4,268

63.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$2.47 COP 8,793

-4.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.59 CHF 2.83

$0.86 COP 3,045

317.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 CHF 78.1

$41.40 COP 147.3K

139.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 CHF 6.20

$1.47 COP 5,245

434.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.47 CHF 3.52

$1.96 COP 6,984

128.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$90.9 CHF 71.7

$7.74 COP 27.5K

1074.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.69

$0.95 COP 3,397

125.26%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.0K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

123.79%

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

$56.6K CHF 44.7K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

113.78%

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

$367 CHF 290

$82.3 COP 292.7K

345.99%

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

$59.9 CHF 47.27

$9.50 COP 33.8K

530.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 CHF 46.55

$24.23 COP 86.2K

143.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.5 CHF 65.1

$25.89 COP 92.1K

218.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.41 CHF 37.42

$19.00 COP 67.6K

149.53%

Cinema Ticket

$24.55 CHF 19.38

$3.93 COP 14.0K

524.68%

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

$3,417 CHF 2,697

$309 COP 1.1M

1004.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.8K CHF 31.4K

$5,965 COP 21.2M

566.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 CHF 118

$58.7 COP 208.7K

154.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.9 CHF 53.6

$32.35 COP 115.1K

109.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 140

$103 COP 365.1K

72.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 147

$108 COP 385.8K

71.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 CHF 1,463

$476 COP 1.7M

289.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 CHF 997

$379 COP 1.3M

233.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,301 CHF 2,606

$838 COP 3.0M

293.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 CHF 1,868

$724 COP 2.6M

226.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 12.8K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

483.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

960.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,193 CHF 5,676

$512 COP 1.8M

1305.40%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,853 in Bern and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 1305% 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: $107 in Bern vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $636 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

Bern vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 239% 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.

Bern pays 1305% 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: $1,853 in Bern versus $476 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 $107 in Bern. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,430 per month in Bern versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 239% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $3,430 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 $1,013 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 239% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.