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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $3,544 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $5,518 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $7,492 in Basel.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 54% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Basel 157% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$29.93 CHF 24.44

-73.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$125 CHF 102

-61.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$18.69 CHF 15.26

-49.60%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$6.73 CHF 5.49

-56.32%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$6.33 CHF 5.17

-70.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$5.86 CHF 4.78

-75.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$9.34 CHF 7.62

-65.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$10.07 CHF 8.22

-43.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$2.32 CHF 1.89

-37.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$3.05 CHF 2.49

-21.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$3.32 CHF 2.71

-48.80%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$8.34 CHF 6.81

-65.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$26.21 CHF 21.41

-61.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$27.85 CHF 22.74

-64.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$42.56 CHF 34.75

-66.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.66 CHF 2.99

8.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$2.40 CHF 1.96

-34.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$2.99 CHF 2.44

-28.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$4.83 CHF 3.95

-52.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$1.79 CHF 1.46

11.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$1.95 CHF 1.59

-22.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$2.33 CHF 1.90

-48.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-22.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$11.63 CHF 9.50

-66.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$12.24 CHF 10.00

14.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$2.49 CHF 2.03

-31.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$3.18 CHF 2.59

-13.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$4.44 CHF 3.63

-71.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

$108 CHF 88.3

-27.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$7.99 CHF 6.52

-83.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$4.59 CHF 3.75

-52.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$88.0 CHF 71.9

-90.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-40.61%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

-37.90%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$39.6K CHF 32.4K

-7.82%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$299 CHF 244

-43.48%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$53.3 CHF 43.50

-74.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$66.0 CHF 53.9

-57.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$85.8 CHF 70.1

-46.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$59.0 CHF 48.20

-70.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$23.81 CHF 19.45

-72.07%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$3,026 CHF 2,471

-73.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$33.3K CHF 27.2K

-72.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$147 CHF 120

-40.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$81.6 CHF 66.7

-27.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$164 CHF 134

-15.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$199 CHF 162

-48.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$2,141 CHF 1,748

-49.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$1,528 CHF 1,248

-57.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$3,615 CHF 2,952

-46.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$2,890 CHF 2,360

-63.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

-77.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$14.5K CHF 11.9K

-88.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$7,336 CHF 5,990

-91.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.43

350.21%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $2,141 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 1020% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $125 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $597 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 116% 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 1020% 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $2,141 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $3,026 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $3,544 in Basel, a $2,500 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 $1,641 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 116% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.