Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $3,606 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $5,819 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $8,033 in Basel.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Basel is 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$31.16 CHF 25.24

-80.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$154 CHF 125

-78.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$19.41 CHF 15.72

-62.18%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$6.73 CHF 5.45

-74.44%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$5.46 CHF 4.43

-80.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$5.21 CHF 4.22

-85.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$9.65 CHF 7.82

-82.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$7.31 CHF 5.92

-56.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$2.21 CHF 1.79

-52.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$3.87 CHF 3.14

-66.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$5.19 CHF 4.20

-73.03%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$7.82 CHF 6.34

-72.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$28.51 CHF 23.09

-84.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$36.76 CHF 29.78

-84.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$44.22 CHF 35.82

-80.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$3.91 CHF 3.16

-41.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$2.74 CHF 2.22

-59.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$4.18 CHF 3.38

-63.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$6.99 CHF 5.66

-80.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$3.26 CHF 2.64

-65.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$2.98 CHF 2.41

-62.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$2.52 CHF 2.04

-66.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.49 CHF 1.21

-38.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$11.83 CHF 9.58

-80.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$13.68 CHF 11.08

-9.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$2.42 CHF 1.96

-50.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$3.04 CHF 2.46

-18.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$4.76 CHF 3.86

-82.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$105 CHF 85.1

-61.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$7.92 CHF 6.42

-82.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$4.36 CHF 3.53

-55.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$87.4 CHF 70.8

-91.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$2.20 CHF 1.78

-55.00%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

-55.80%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$45.1K CHF 36.6K

-40.99%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$302 CHF 245

-73.25%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$54.0 CHF 43.74

-81.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$58.9 CHF 47.69

-58.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$90.9 CHF 73.6

-72.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$41.38 CHF 33.52

-53.72%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$23.17 CHF 18.77

-82.82%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$2,533 CHF 2,052

-87.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$33.8K CHF 27.4K

-82.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$135 CHF 110

-57.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$87.6 CHF 71.0

-63.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$180 CHF 146

-43.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$230 CHF 186

-53.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$2,103 CHF 1,704

-77.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$1,511 CHF 1,224

-75.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$3,742 CHF 3,031

-77.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$2,829 CHF 2,292

-74.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$18.8K CHF 15.2K

-82.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

-90.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$7,175 CHF 5,812

-91.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

2.55

426.67%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $2,103 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 1063% 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 $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $692 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 Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 250% lower than in Basel. 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 1063% lower in Basel. 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 $2,103 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $2,533 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 259% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $3,606 in Basel, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Basel. 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 Basel 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 250% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.