Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Baar

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $3,847 in Baar, rent and utilities included – about $26,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
185

Cost of Living Index in Baar
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Baar Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Baar

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,847

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Baar

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $3,847 in Baar, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Baar $3,847

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $6,279 in Baar, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Baar $6,279

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $8,711 in Baar, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Baar $8,711

Medellin is about 58% cheaper than Baar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Baar sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Baar by 184%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$30.24 CHF 24.90

-72.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$123 CHF 102

-61.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$18.03 CHF 14.85

-48.75%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$6.09 CHF 5.01

-49.92%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$5.51 CHF 4.54

-67.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$4.72 CHF 3.88

-70.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$8.41 CHF 6.92

-61.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$6.86 CHF 5.65

-18.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-31.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$3.88 CHF 3.19

-38.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$3.79 CHF 3.12

-55.15%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$8.27 CHF 6.81

-64.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$27.52 CHF 22.67

-62.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$28.31 CHF 23.32

-65.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$42.77 CHF 35.23

-67.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$4.12 CHF 3.39

0.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$2.12 CHF 1.75

-27.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$3.14 CHF 2.58

-29.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$4.53 CHF 3.73

-49.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$2.48 CHF 2.04

-19.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$2.22 CHF 1.83

-24.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$2.46 CHF 2.03

-52.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.17 CHF 0.97

5.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$10.85 CHF 8.94

-64.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$12.58 CHF 10.36

9.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.71 CHF 2.24

-38.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$3.14 CHF 2.58

-23.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$3.65 CHF 3.01

-66.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$5.59 CHF 4.60

-77.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$3.47 CHF 2.86

-38.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$60.3 CHF 49.62

-86.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$2.24 CHF 1.85

-39.73%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$38.6K CHF 31.8K

-9.98%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$39.0K CHF 32.2K

-11.18%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$283 CHF 233

-41.18%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$31.92 CHF 26.29

-57.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$56.6 CHF 46.59

-48.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$73.7 CHF 60.7

-38.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$77.8 CHF 64.0

-77.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$26.81 CHF 22.08

-74.00%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$1,813 CHF 1,494

-56.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$32.7K CHF 26.9K

-72.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$141 CHF 116

-37.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$59.8 CHF 49.27

-2.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$164 CHF 135

-15.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$259 CHF 213

-61.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$2,423 CHF 1,995

-57.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$1,953 CHF 1,608

-68.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$5,495 CHF 4,525

-65.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$4,259 CHF 3,508

-76.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$27.3K CHF 22.5K

-85.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$21.8K CHF 18.0K

-92.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$6,615 CHF 5,449

-89.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.07

428.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Baar: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Baar

$2K 50.7% 215% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Baar

$611 15.9% 105% $313

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Baar

$372 9.7% 77.6% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Baar

$281 7.3% 62.7% $108

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Baar

$466 12.1% 173% $295

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Baar

$38 * 1% 60.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Baar

$127 3.3% 116% $68

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $2,423 in Baar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 897% higher in Baar, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $123 in Baar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $611 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Baar

🕒 Local time

03:39 3:39 AM

10:39 10:39 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

23,557

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Baar 9,050 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Baar

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 Baar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Baar is pricier by about 137%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $5,770 in Baar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $3,847 in Baar. That's a gap of about 137%.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $1,813 in Baar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Baar at $3,847. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Baar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Baar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.