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: $1,014 in Medellin versus $3,730 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Medellin versus $5,810 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Medellin versus $7,891 in Basel.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 73% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% below, Basel is 177% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.2K

$31.10 CHF 24.35

-80.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.3K

$154 CHF 121

-78.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$19.39 CHF 15.18

-62.25%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,987

$6.74 CHF 5.27

-75.37%

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

$1.10 COP 3,987

$5.71 CHF 4.47

-80.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,822

$5.26 CHF 4.12

-85.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,188

$10.05 CHF 7.87

-82.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.5K

$7.61 CHF 5.96

-58.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,012

$2.14 CHF 1.68

-48.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,719

$3.85 CHF 3.01

-65.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,980

$5.07 CHF 3.97

-72.78%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 8,009

$7.82 CHF 6.12

-71.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.7K

$28.16 CHF 22.05

-84.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$37.35 CHF 29.24

-84.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.4K

$43.13 CHF 33.77

-79.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,164

$3.87 CHF 3.03

-41.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,023

$2.66 CHF 2.08

-58.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,284

$4.06 CHF 3.18

-64.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,929

$6.96 CHF 5.45

-80.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,009

$3.21 CHF 2.52

-65.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,199

$2.95 CHF 2.31

-60.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,211

$2.62 CHF 2.05

-66.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,124

$1.56 CHF 1.22

-44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,495

$11.90 CHF 9.32

-80.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.2K

$15.30 CHF 11.98

-29.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,330

$2.38 CHF 1.87

-49.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,946

$3.11 CHF 2.44

-20.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,842

$4.77 CHF 3.74

-83.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 147.2K

$107 CHF 83.6

-61.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,137

$7.94 CHF 6.22

-82.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,900

$4.26 CHF 3.34

-55.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$87.2 CHF 68.3

-91.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,490

$2.23 CHF 1.75

-56.50%

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

$18.1K COP 65.3M

$41.1K CHF 32.2K

-55.94%

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

$26.3K COP 95.0M

$45.3K CHF 35.4K

-41.88%

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

$81.3 COP 293.5K

$301 CHF 236

-73.01%

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

$9.63 COP 34.8K

$54.2 CHF 42.45

-82.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 88.0K

$60.3 CHF 47.18

-59.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.9K

$91.8 CHF 71.9

-71.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.3K

$42.35 CHF 33.16

-55.32%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$22.73 CHF 17.80

-82.89%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$2,621 CHF 2,052

-88.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$34.5K CHF 27.0K

-82.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.8K

$135 CHF 106

-56.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.2K

$87.6 CHF 68.6

-62.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 367.3K

$175 CHF 137

-41.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 390.4K

$228 CHF 179

-52.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$2,137 CHF 1,673

-77.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$1,462 CHF 1,145

-74.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$3,717 CHF 2,910

-77.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$2,837 CHF 2,221

-74.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.4M

$17.4K CHF 13.6K

-83.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

$13.5K CHF 10.6K

-89.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 2.0M

$7,891 CHF 6,179

-93.14%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Basel: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Medellin and $2,137 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 1357% 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 in Medellin vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 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 268% 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, Basel earns 1357% less. 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: $474 in Medellin versus $2,137 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Medellin versus $2,621 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 263% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,014 in Medellin versus $3,730 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 $1,014 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 268% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.