Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ascona

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $3,528 in Ascona, rent and utilities included – about $22,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Ascona
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Ascona Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Ascona

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,528

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ascona

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 Ascona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $3,528 in Ascona.

Medellin $1,625
Ascona $3,528

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $5,347 in Ascona.

Medellin $2,412
Ascona $5,347

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $7,166 in Ascona.

Medellin $3,199
Ascona $7,166

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Ascona 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.0K

$24.67 CHF 20.42

-66.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 147.0K

$118 CHF 98.0

-60.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 28.9K

$21.67 CHF 17.93

-57.36%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,560

$6.77 CHF 5.60

-54.95%

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

$1.80 COP 5,638

$3.03 CHF 2.51

-40.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,329

$6.14 CHF 5.08

-77.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.1K

$9.36 CHF 7.74

-65.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.4K

$3.67 CHF 3.04

51.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,703

$2.24 CHF 1.86

-33.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,417

$4.00 CHF 3.31

-40.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,312

$4.25 CHF 3.51

-60.00%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,266

$7.84 CHF 6.48

-62.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.0K

$27.21 CHF 22.52

-62.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.5K

$30.50 CHF 25.24

-68.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 43.5K

$42.01 CHF 34.77

-66.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 12.9K

$3.71 CHF 3.07

11.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,781

$1.92 CHF 1.59

-20.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 6,967

$2.82 CHF 2.33

-21.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,108

$5.36 CHF 4.44

-57.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,235

$2.00 CHF 1.66

-0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,222

$2.12 CHF 1.75

-21.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,697

$2.38 CHF 1.97

-50.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,872

$1.33 CHF 1.10

-6.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.1K

$10.90 CHF 9.02

-64.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.2K

$17.92 CHF 14.83

-23.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,193

$2.92 CHF 2.42

-43.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,523

$3.98 CHF 3.29

-39.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,896

$4.28 CHF 3.54

-71.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 245.0K

$101 CHF 83.5

-22.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 3,996

$8.68 CHF 7.18

-85.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,721

$5.83 CHF 4.83

-63.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.2K

$36.09 CHF 29.87

-76.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,236

$2.24 CHF 1.85

-39.73%

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

$34.8K COP 108.9M

$42.3K CHF 35.0K

-17.89%

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

$34.7K COP 108.6M

$39.7K CHF 32.9K

-12.62%

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

$167 COP 522.0K

$273 CHF 226

-38.92%

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

$13.62 COP 42.7K

$38.22 CHF 31.63

-64.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 91.2K

$61.6 CHF 51.0

-52.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 141.2K

$88.4 CHF 73.2

-48.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 53.8K

$46.11 CHF 38.16

-62.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 21.8K

$23.40 CHF 19.37

-70.21%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$4,239 CHF 3,508

-81.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.3M

$35.2K CHF 29.1K

-74.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 275.0K

$165 CHF 137

-46.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 182.1K

$68.7 CHF 56.9

-15.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 435.4K

$150 CHF 125

-7.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 309.7K

$272 CHF 225

-63.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.2M

$1,744 CHF 1,444

-41.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 1.9M

$1,502 CHF 1,243

-58.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 5.9M

$2,963 CHF 2,452

-36.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$2,517 CHF 2,083

-59.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.5M

$16.4K CHF 13.6K

-75.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.3M

$12.3K CHF 10.1K

-86.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ascona: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Ascona

$1.5K 42.6% 142% $882

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Ascona

$633 18% 113% $335

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Ascona

$373 10.6% 78% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Ascona

$295 8.4% 70.9% $122

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Ascona

$434 12.3% 154% $264

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Ascona

$156 4.4% 63.8% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Ascona

$135 3.8% 129% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $1,744 in Ascona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $118 in Ascona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $633 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Ascona

🕒 Local time

19:45 7:45 PM

01:45 1:45 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

5,500

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.19 USD

10,000 COP = 2.85 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 3,132 COP (10,000 COP = 3.19 USD). 1 EUR = 3,507 COP (10,000 COP = 2.85 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 0.828 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.927 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Ascona 9,070 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ascona

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 Ascona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Ascona differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($1,625 vs $3,528 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,437 in Medellin and $5,292 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,744 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 23% less than in Ascona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $4,239 in Ascona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $3,528 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.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Ascona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.