Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Acquarossa

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $3,691 in Acquarossa, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Acquarossa, Switzerland
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Acquarossa
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,691
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Acquarossa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Acquarossa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $3,691 in Acquarossa.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Acquarossa $3,691

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $5,627 in Acquarossa.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Acquarossa $5,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $7,563 in Acquarossa.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Acquarossa $7,563

Living in Medellin costs roughly 54% less than in Acquarossa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Acquarossa 173% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Acquarossa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 27.0K
$34.45 CHF 28.23
-75.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.9K
$143 CHF 117
-67.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.7K
$18.05 CHF 14.79
-47.53%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.2K
$7.13 CHF 5.84
-56.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,728
$5.77 CHF 4.73
-69.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,620
$5.45 CHF 4.47
-73.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$9.40 CHF 7.70
-66.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.5K
$8.56 CHF 7.01
-33.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Acquarossa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,971
$2.14 CHF 1.75
-28.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,431
$3.96 CHF 3.24
-42.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,308
$3.76 CHF 3.08
-48.40%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,945
$8.63 CHF 7.08
-64.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.4K
$26.42 CHF 21.65
-62.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.9K
$28.90 CHF 23.68
-63.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.3K
$59.8 CHF 49.04
-76.67%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$4.22 CHF 3.46
-4.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,957
$2.83 CHF 2.32
-45.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,825
$3.50 CHF 2.87
-40.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,439
$4.51 CHF 3.69
-49.22%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,841
$2.51 CHF 2.05
-15.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,543
$2.30 CHF 1.89
-25.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,795
$2.50 CHF 2.05
-53.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,125
$1.29 CHF 1.06
22.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.7K
$11.02 CHF 9.03
-64.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.6K
$13.62 CHF 11.16
3.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,714
$2.94 CHF 2.41
-40.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,796
$3.14 CHF 2.58
-13.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Acquarossa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,826
$4.58 CHF 3.75
-74.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 247.4K
$100 CHF 82.2
-23.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,860
$7.95 CHF 6.52
-77.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,906
$4.55 CHF 3.73
-53.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.4K
$89.7 CHF 73.5
-90.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,136
$2.30 CHF 1.88
-44.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.7M
$38.8K CHF 31.8K
-11.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.7M
$39.3K CHF 32.2K
-13.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Acquarossa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 576.4K
$279 CHF 228
-36.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 45.0K
$39.62 CHF 32.46
-64.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.7K
$54.1 CHF 44.30
-43.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Acquarossa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 136.0K
$83.1 CHF 68.1
-49.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.5K
$45.51 CHF 37.29
-63.09%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.2K
$24.06 CHF 19.72
-68.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Acquarossa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$3,419 CHF 2,802
-76.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.9M
$40.8K CHF 33.4K
-69.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Acquarossa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 280.0K
$141 CHF 116
-38.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 192.2K
$53.9 CHF 44.17
9.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 448.7K
$159 CHF 130
-13.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 320.5K
$243 CHF 199
-59.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Acquarossa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$1,822 CHF 1,493
-26.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$1,570 CHF 1,287
-57.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$2,892 CHF 2,370
-31.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$2,542 CHF 2,083
-59.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.3M
$15.0K CHF 12.3K
-72.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$11.0K CHF 9,040
-82.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Acquarossa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$12.0K CHF 9,843
-94.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
2.03
438.92%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Acquarossa: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Acquarossa
$1.6K 135% $903
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Acquarossa
$674 119% $367
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Acquarossa
$372 67.4% $150
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Acquarossa
$524 204% $352
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Acquarossa
$269 56.2% $97
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Acquarossa
$149 59.8% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Acquarossa
$131 131% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $1,822 in Acquarossa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acquarossa pays about 19 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $143 in Acquarossa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $674 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇨🇭 Acquarossa
🕒 Local time
05:04 5:04 AM
11:04 11:04 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
1,900
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.819 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.919 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Acquarossa 9,090 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Acquarossa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Medellin vs Acquarossa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Acquarossa?
Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Acquarossa. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Medellin or in Acquarossa?
On paper, salaries run 95% lower in Medellin. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Medellin compared to Acquarossa?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,822 in Acquarossa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Medellin or in Acquarossa?
Supermarket bills run roughly 119% higher in Acquarossa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Medellin and in Acquarossa?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $143 in Acquarossa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Medellin or in Acquarossa?
At $1,692 in Medellin versus $3,691 in Acquarossa, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Acquarossa. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Medellin or Acquarossa?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Acquarossa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?