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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $3,523 in Acquarossa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $5,404 in Acquarossa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $7,284 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 23% below, Acquarossa is 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$30.20 CHF 24.46

-79.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$146 CHF 118

-77.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$20.59 CHF 16.68

-64.35%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$6.91 CHF 5.60

-75.11%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$5.83 CHF 4.72

-81.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$5.22 CHF 4.23

-85.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$10.05 CHF 8.14

-83.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$8.70 CHF 7.05

-63.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$2.26 CHF 1.83

-53.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$3.29 CHF 2.66

-60.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$4.10 CHF 3.32

-65.85%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$7.52 CHF 6.09

-71.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$30.19 CHF 24.46

-85.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$33.03 CHF 26.76

-82.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$49.58 CHF 40.16

-82.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$4.22 CHF 3.42

-45.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$2.88 CHF 2.33

-61.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$3.08 CHF 2.50

-50.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$5.24 CHF 4.24

-74.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$2.86 CHF 2.31

-60.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$2.30 CHF 1.87

-50.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$2.59 CHF 2.10

-67.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.66 CHF 1.35

-45.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$10.99 CHF 8.90

-78.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$13.45 CHF 10.89

-8.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$2.65 CHF 2.14

-54.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$3.25 CHF 2.63

-23.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$4.01 CHF 3.25

-79.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$99.9 CHF 80.9

-59.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$7.52 CHF 6.09

-81.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$4.30 CHF 3.48

-55.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$88.7 CHF 71.8

-91.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$2.22 CHF 1.80

-55.41%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$40.9K CHF 33.1K

-55.88%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$39.8K CHF 32.2K

-33.09%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$256 CHF 207

-68.42%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$36.29 CHF 29.39

-72.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$59.7 CHF 48.33

-59.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$89.5 CHF 72.5

-71.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$24.84 CHF 20.12

-83.98%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$3,353 CHF 2,716

-90.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$39.1K CHF 31.6K

-84.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$139 CHF 112

-58.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$52.1 CHF 42.21

-38.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$147 CHF 119

-31.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$205 CHF 166

-47.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$1,690 CHF 1,369

-71.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$1,447 CHF 1,172

-74.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$2,865 CHF 2,321

-70.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$2,502 CHF 2,027

-70.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$15.5K CHF 12.5K

-79.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$11.2K CHF 9,055

-87.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$12.3K CHF 9,943

-94.98%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Acquarossa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $1,690 in Acquarossa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acquarossa pays 1890% 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 $146 in Acquarossa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $673 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 242% 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, salaries run 1890% lower in Acquarossa. 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: $477 in Medellin versus $1,690 in Acquarossa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 249% 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 $146 in Acquarossa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $3,523 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 $1,031 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 242% less than in Acquarossa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.