Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bern Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bern

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $3,425 in Bern.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $5,268 in Bern.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $7,111 in Bern.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 52% less than in Bern, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Bern 148% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$28.53 CHF 23.28

-71.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$122 CHF 99.7

-60.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$16.03 CHF 13.08

-41.24%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$7.11 CHF 5.80

-58.65%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$6.27 CHF 5.11

-70.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$7.22 CHF 5.89

-79.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$9.04 CHF 7.38

-64.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$8.11 CHF 6.62

-29.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.19 CHF 1.78

-34.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$3.09 CHF 2.52

-22.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$3.37 CHF 2.75

-49.55%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$8.26 CHF 6.74

-65.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$24.95 CHF 20.36

-59.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$30.27 CHF 24.70

-67.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$40.33 CHF 32.92

-64.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.89 CHF 3.18

2.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.10 CHF 1.71

-24.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.66 CHF 2.17

-19.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$4.56 CHF 3.72

-49.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.64 CHF 1.34

21.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.04 CHF 1.66

-25.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$2.23 CHF 1.82

-46.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.37 CHF 1.12

-6.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$11.60 CHF 9.47

-66.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$12.43 CHF 10.15

12.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.34 CHF 1.91

-26.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.09 CHF 2.52

-11.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$6.58 CHF 5.37

-81.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$103 CHF 83.8

-24.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$8.34 CHF 6.81

-84.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$4.65 CHF 3.79

-53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$111 CHF 90.3

-92.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-40.61%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$44.0K CHF 35.9K

-37.58%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$40.3K CHF 32.9K

-9.23%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$283 CHF 231

-40.36%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$28.16 CHF 22.98

-51.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$55.7 CHF 45.47

-49.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$90.6 CHF 74.0

-49.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$48.75 CHF 39.79

-64.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$25.02 CHF 20.42

-73.42%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$3,217 CHF 2,625

-75.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$30.8K CHF 25.1K

-70.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$147 CHF 120

-40.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$62.2 CHF 50.7

-4.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$163 CHF 133

-14.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$200 CHF 163

-48.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$1,879 CHF 1,534

-43.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$1,478 CHF 1,206

-55.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$3,570 CHF 2,914

-46.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$2,604 CHF 2,125

-59.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$19.5K CHF 15.9K

-78.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$15.4K CHF 12.6K

-89.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$6,794 CHF 5,545

-90.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.46

344.72%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bern: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $1,879 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 937% 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 $122 in Bern for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $589 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 Bern: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 109% lower than in Bern. 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 937% lower in Bern. 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 $1,879 in Bern. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $122 in Bern. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $3,425 in Bern – a 109% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $3,425 in Bern, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bern. 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 Bern 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 109% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.