Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Acquarossa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Acquarossa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $3,455 in Acquarossa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $5,316 in Acquarossa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $7,177 in Acquarossa.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 71% less than in Acquarossa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Acquarossa is 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$30.59 CHF 24.12

-80.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$150 CHF 118

-78.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$20.92 CHF 16.49

-66.11%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$6.74 CHF 5.32

-74.63%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$5.92 CHF 4.67

-81.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$5.10 CHF 4.02

-84.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$9.76 CHF 7.70

-82.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$8.56 CHF 6.75

-64.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$2.17 CHF 1.71

-49.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$3.37 CHF 2.65

-62.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$4.13 CHF 3.25

-66.59%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$7.52 CHF 5.93

-70.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$29.93 CHF 23.59

-85.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$33.51 CHF 26.42

-83.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$50.7 CHF 40.00

-82.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$4.11 CHF 3.24

-43.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$2.91 CHF 2.29

-63.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$2.98 CHF 2.35

-49.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$4.98 CHF 3.93

-72.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$2.82 CHF 2.23

-59.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$2.34 CHF 1.84

-50.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$2.49 CHF 1.96

-64.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$1.73 CHF 1.37

-51.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$11.17 CHF 8.81

-79.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$15.19 CHF 11.98

-29.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$2.67 CHF 2.10

-55.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$3.19 CHF 2.52

-22.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$3.82 CHF 3.01

-77.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$96.9 CHF 76.4

-57.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$7.68 CHF 6.05

-80.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$4.11 CHF 3.24

-52.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$88.3 CHF 69.6

-91.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$2.24 CHF 1.76

-57.59%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$40.2K CHF 31.7K

-54.85%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

-33.60%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$260 CHF 205

-68.34%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$35.79 CHF 28.22

-73.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$58.4 CHF 46.02

-58.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$87.5 CHF 69.0

-70.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$24.21 CHF 19.08

-83.77%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$3,346 CHF 2,638

-90.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$39.0K CHF 30.7K

-84.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$139 CHF 110

-57.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$53.8 CHF 42.41

-39.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$147 CHF 116

-30.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$205 CHF 162

-47.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$1,669 CHF 1,316

-71.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$1,461 CHF 1,152

-74.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$2,869 CHF 2,262

-70.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$2,434 CHF 1,919

-70.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$14.6K CHF 11.5K

-80.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$9,972 CHF 7,862

-87.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$12.5K CHF 9,854

-95.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

2.09

542.58%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Acquarossa: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $1,669 in Acquarossa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acquarossa pays 2342% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $150 in Acquarossa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $680 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

Medellin vs Acquarossa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 241% 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.

On paper, Acquarossa earns 2342% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $1,669 in Acquarossa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 261% higher in Acquarossa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $150 in Acquarossa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $3,455 in Acquarossa, a $1,500 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.

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, Medellin and Acquarossa 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 241% less than in Acquarossa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.