Cost of Living Comparison Between Lachen and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lachen and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,188 in Lachen versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,036 in Lachen versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,885 in Lachen versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Lachen is roughly 208% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lachen is 138% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.38 CHF 24.79

$5.92 COP 21.5K

430.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 115

$32.75 COP 119.1K

345.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.67 CHF 14.75

$7.20 COP 26.2K

159.31%

Cappuccino

$6.17 CHF 4.87

$1.70 COP 6,186

262.94%

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

$5.76 CHF 4.55

$1.10 COP 3,996

423.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 CHF 4.13

$0.72 COP 2,625

625.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.63 CHF 6.03

$1.67 COP 6,067

356.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 CHF 5.51

$3.10 COP 11.3K

124.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.76

$1.06 COP 3,837

109.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CHF 2.14

$1.25 COP 4,531

116.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.90

$1.39 COP 5,060

72.66%

Eggs

$8.09 CHF 6.39

$2.26 COP 8,229

257.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.50 CHF 21.72

$4.33 COP 15.8K

535.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.52 CHF 11.47

$5.84 COP 21.2K

148.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.51 CHF 32.79

$8.83 COP 32.1K

370.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 CHF 2.47

$2.24 COP 8,159

39.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 CHF 1.45

$1.08 COP 3,911

70.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 CHF 1.96

$1.53 COP 5,563

62.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 CHF 3.79

$1.37 COP 4,987

249.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 1.97

$1.13 COP 4,109

120.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.80

$1.12 COP 4,067

103.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CHF 2.04

$0.85 COP 3,080

203.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CHF 0.91

$0.91 COP 3,305

26.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.77 CHF 8.51

$2.33 COP 8,477

362.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 CHF 9.47

$11.13 COP 40.5K

7.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$1.19 COP 4,342

84.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 CHF 1.87

$2.37 COP 8,617

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 CHF 3.11

$0.79 COP 2,859

397.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.2 CHF 76.8

$41.13 COP 149.6K

136.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 CHF 5.40

$1.44 COP 5,223

375.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.17 CHF 3.30

$1.91 COP 6,952

118.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.7 CHF 62.2

$8.02 COP 29.2K

881.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 CHF 1.67

$0.94 COP 3,410

124.47%

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

$39.7K CHF 31.3K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

121.36%

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

$41.2K CHF 32.6K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

53.84%

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

$125 CHF 98.4

$84.0 COP 305.4K

48.40%

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

$59.8 CHF 47.25

$9.60 COP 34.9K

523.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 CHF 41.22

$24.16 COP 87.9K

115.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.8 CHF 68.5

$25.88 COP 94.1K

235.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

Cinema Ticket

$22.21 CHF 17.55

$3.92 COP 14.2K

466.58%

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

$2,828 CHF 2,234

$306 COP 1.1M

823.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K CHF 27.6K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

491.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$123 CHF 97.3

$57.9 COP 210.6K

112.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 CHF 51.7

$31.82 COP 115.7K

105.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$158 CHF 125

$99.9 COP 363.3K

58.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 182

$107 COP 389.7K

114.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 CHF 1,317

$487 COP 1.8M

242.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CHF 1,144

$368 COP 1.3M

293.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,852 CHF 2,253

$826 COP 3.0M

245.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,452 CHF 1,937

$716 COP 2.6M

242.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K CHF 10.9K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

372.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K CHF 8,623

$1,407 COP 5.1M

675.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$10.0K CHF 7,932

$546 COP 2.0M

1740.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

13.43

-81.38%

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

Last update for Lachen: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,667 in Lachen and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 1741% 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: $146 in Lachen vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $507 vs $190 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

Lachen vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 208% lower than in Lachen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lachen pays 1741% 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: $1,667 in Lachen versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 136% less than in Lachen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,828 in Lachen versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $3,188 in Lachen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lachen. 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 $1,034 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lachen 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 208% less than in Lachen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.