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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $3,653 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $5,857 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $8,062 in Basel.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 72% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Basel is 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$30.72 CHF 24.24

-80.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$156 CHF 123

-78.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$19.37 CHF 15.28

-63.40%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$6.75 CHF 5.33

-74.67%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$5.67 CHF 4.47

-80.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$5.02 CHF 3.96

-84.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$10.09 CHF 7.96

-83.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$7.45 CHF 5.88

-58.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-51.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$3.73 CHF 2.95

-66.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$4.99 CHF 3.94

-72.34%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$8.16 CHF 6.44

-73.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$28.67 CHF 22.62

-84.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$35.93 CHF 28.36

-84.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$43.12 CHF 34.03

-79.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$3.98 CHF 3.14

-41.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$2.60 CHF 2.05

-59.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$4.24 CHF 3.35

-64.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$6.96 CHF 5.49

-80.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$3.23 CHF 2.55

-64.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$2.94 CHF 2.32

-60.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$2.51 CHF 1.98

-64.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$1.55 CHF 1.22

-45.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$11.68 CHF 9.22

-80.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$13.81 CHF 10.90

-22.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$2.39 CHF 1.89

-49.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$3.16 CHF 2.49

-21.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$4.58 CHF 3.61

-81.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$105 CHF 82.5

-60.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$7.99 CHF 6.31

-81.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$4.31 CHF 3.40

-54.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$87.2 CHF 68.8

-91.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$2.23 CHF 1.76

-57.40%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

-55.13%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$44.3K CHF 35.0K

-40.23%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$306 CHF 242

-73.13%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$53.5 CHF 42.24

-82.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$58.9 CHF 46.44

-58.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$90.3 CHF 71.2

-71.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$42.50 CHF 33.54

-55.29%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$22.72 CHF 17.93

-82.70%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$2,574 CHF 2,031

-87.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

-82.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$134 CHF 105

-56.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$88.3 CHF 69.7

-63.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$181 CHF 143

-43.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$227 CHF 179

-52.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$2,112 CHF 1,666

-77.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$1,519 CHF 1,199

-75.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$3,828 CHF 3,021

-78.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$2,802 CHF 2,211

-74.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$19.1K CHF 15.1K

-85.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

-91.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$8,292 CHF 6,544

-93.83%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $2,112 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 1520% 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 $156 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $685 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 261% 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 1520% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $2,112 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $2,574 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 $1,013 in Medellin versus $3,653 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 $1,013 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 261% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.