Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ascona Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ascona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $3,521 in Ascona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $5,411 in Ascona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $7,300 in Ascona.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 53% less than in Ascona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Ascona 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$25.18 CHF 20.47

-68.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.1K

$122 CHF 99.4

-60.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.1K

$22.03 CHF 17.92

-57.24%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,070

$6.92 CHF 5.63

-57.51%

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

$1.86 COP 5,754

$3.07 CHF 2.50

-39.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,494

$6.13 CHF 4.99

-76.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,915

$9.67 CHF 7.86

-66.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.72 CHF 3.03

53.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,443

$2.24 CHF 1.82

-35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,413

$4.15 CHF 3.37

-42.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,245

$4.19 CHF 3.41

-59.43%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,925

$8.11 CHF 6.60

-64.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.1K

$27.32 CHF 22.22

-63.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.8K

$32.34 CHF 26.29

-69.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.9K

$43.01 CHF 34.97

-66.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.66 CHF 2.98

8.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,894

$2.05 CHF 1.66

-22.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,646

$2.92 CHF 2.37

-26.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,101

$5.62 CHF 4.57

-59.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,189

$2.01 CHF 1.63

-0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,661

$2.16 CHF 1.75

-30.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,713

$2.35 CHF 1.91

-48.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,959

$1.39 CHF 1.13

-7.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$11.25 CHF 9.14

-65.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.3K

$18.88 CHF 15.35

-25.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,273

$2.90 CHF 2.36

-41.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,468

$4.00 CHF 3.25

-31.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,847

$4.58 CHF 3.73

-72.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 240.5K

$86.8 CHF 70.6

-10.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,030

$9.09 CHF 7.39

-85.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,702

$6.10 CHF 4.96

-64.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.6K

$91.7 CHF 74.5

-90.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,186

$2.32 CHF 1.88

-41.38%

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

$27.5K COP 84.8M

$44.3K CHF 36.0K

-37.97%

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

$36.5K COP 112.8M

$40.6K CHF 33.0K

-9.93%

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

$169 COP 521.0K

$229 CHF 186

-26.40%

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

$13.57 COP 41.9K

$41.14 CHF 33.45

-67.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.5K

$63.0 CHF 51.2

-55.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.1K

$93.3 CHF 75.9

-51.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.2K

$53.5 CHF 43.51

-67.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$23.75 CHF 19.31

-72.00%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$4,380 CHF 3,561

-81.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.4M

$36.5K CHF 29.7K

-74.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.7K

$171 CHF 139

-48.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 183.3K

$68.4 CHF 55.6

-13.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 428.9K

$195 CHF 159

-28.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 315.1K

$274 CHF 223

-62.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$1,730 CHF 1,407

-38.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$1,665 CHF 1,354

-60.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$3,013 CHF 2,450

-36.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$2,671 CHF 2,171

-60.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$16.4K CHF 13.4K

-74.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$11.7K CHF 9,522

-85.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.9

475.79%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ascona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $1,730 in Ascona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $122 in Ascona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $653 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 Ascona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Ascona differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $3,521 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $5,282 in Ascona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $1,730 in Ascona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 11% less than in Ascona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $4,380 in Ascona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $3,521 in Ascona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ascona. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ascona 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 115% less than in Ascona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.