Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bern

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,524 in Bern, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Bern
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Bern Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Bern

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,524

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bern

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Bern actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $3,524 in Bern.

Medellin $1,639
Bern $3,524

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $5,348 in Bern.

Medellin $2,413
Bern $5,348

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $7,171 in Bern.

Medellin $3,186
Bern $7,171

Living in Medellin costs roughly 53% less than in Bern, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Bern 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$28.73 CHF 23.83

-71.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$123 CHF 102

-61.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$15.88 CHF 13.17

-40.18%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$6.89 CHF 5.72

-56.31%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$6.13 CHF 5.09

-70.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$6.96 CHF 5.78

-79.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$9.11 CHF 7.55

-65.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$8.06 CHF 6.69

-28.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$2.21 CHF 1.84

-31.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$2.92 CHF 2.42

-18.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$3.17 CHF 2.63

-44.16%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$7.70 CHF 6.39

-62.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$24.56 CHF 20.37

-58.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$29.33 CHF 24.33

-66.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$38.43 CHF 31.88

-63.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.80 CHF 3.15

4.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$2.01 CHF 1.67

-22.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.60 CHF 2.15

-16.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$4.62 CHF 3.83

-52.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.65 CHF 1.37

18.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.05 CHF 1.70

-22.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$2.21 CHF 1.84

-47.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.28 CHF 1.06

-3.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$11.13 CHF 9.24

-64.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$11.91 CHF 9.88

14.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$2.29 CHF 1.90

-27.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$3.02 CHF 2.51

-25.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$6.35 CHF 5.27

-81.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$97.9 CHF 81.2

-20.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$7.99 CHF 6.63

-84.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$4.66 CHF 3.86

-56.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$110 CHF 91.4

-92.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$2.36 CHF 1.96

-42.80%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$38.5K CHF 32.0K

-11.56%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$39.6K CHF 32.9K

-12.45%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$272 CHF 225

-37.58%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$28.10 CHF 23.31

-51.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$54.0 CHF 44.82

-48.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$85.2 CHF 70.7

-48.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$47.65 CHF 39.53

-63.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$25.53 CHF 21.18

-72.93%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$3,123 CHF 2,591

-74.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$30.5K CHF 25.3K

-70.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$144 CHF 119

-41.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$61.4 CHF 50.9

-5.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$155 CHF 129

-13.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$198 CHF 164

-50.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$2,102 CHF 1,744

-42.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$1,584 CHF 1,314

-59.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$3,558 CHF 2,952

-43.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$2,670 CHF 2,215

-62.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$18.2K CHF 15.1K

-77.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$14.0K CHF 11.6K

-86.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$6,701 CHF 5,559

-90.19%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bern: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Bern

$1.6K 45% 147% $943

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Bern

$570 16.2% 91.8% $273

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Bern

$354 10% 67.5% $143

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Bern

$474 13.5% 180% $305

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Bern

$251 7.1% 48.7% $82

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Bern

$155 4.4% 65.2% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Bern

$136 3.9% 137% $79

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $2,102 in Bern. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays about 10 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $123 in Bern for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $570 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Bern

🕒 Local time

11:46 11:46 AM

17:46 5:46 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

128,848 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.923 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Bern 8,970 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bern

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 53% 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 90% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $2,102 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 $47 versus $123 in Bern. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $3,524 in Bern – a 115% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,639 in Medellin versus $3,524 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 $1,639 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.