Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Buochs

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $3,415 in Buochs, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Buochs, Switzerland
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Buochs
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,415
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Buochs

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 Buochs actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $3,415 in Buochs, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Buochs $3,415

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $5,026 in Buochs, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Buochs $5,026

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $6,637 in Buochs, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Buochs $6,637

Medellin is about 50% cheaper than Buochs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Buochs sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Buochs by 153%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Buochs
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$31.08 CHF 25.37
-73.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.1K
$121 CHF 98.6
-61.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.5K
$16.78 CHF 13.70
-43.56%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$5.91 CHF 4.82
-47.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,696
$5.40 CHF 4.41
-67.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,594
$4.93 CHF 4.03
-71.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$8.79 CHF 7.18
-64.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$6.56 CHF 5.36
-13.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Buochs
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,943
$2.22 CHF 1.81
-31.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,389
$3.34 CHF 2.72
-31.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,273
$4.25 CHF 3.47
-54.35%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,889
$7.11 CHF 5.81
-56.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.2K
$26.50 CHF 21.64
-62.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$26.04 CHF 21.26
-59.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.0K
$41.18 CHF 33.62
-66.10%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$3.61 CHF 2.95
12.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,929
$2.09 CHF 1.71
-26.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,786
$2.60 CHF 2.12
-19.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,397
$4.64 CHF 3.79
-50.65%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,803
$2.03 CHF 1.65
3.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,512
$2.31 CHF 1.89
-25.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,774
$2.33 CHF 1.91
-49.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,096
$1.11 CHF 0.91
42.34%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$10.91 CHF 8.91
-64.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.3K
$12.12 CHF 9.89
15.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,682
$2.87 CHF 2.34
-38.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,746
$3.05 CHF 2.49
-11.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Buochs
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,805
$4.59 CHF 3.75
-74.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.0K
$99.9 CHF 81.5
-23.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,827
$4.69 CHF 3.83
-61.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,867
$2.91 CHF 2.38
-26.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.2K
$62.2 CHF 50.8
-86.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,113
$2.25 CHF 1.83
-43.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.1M
$38.9K CHF 31.7K
-11.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.1M
$39.6K CHF 32.3K
-13.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Buochs
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.2K
$235 CHF 192
-24.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$29.28 CHF 23.91
-52.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.1K
$65.7 CHF 53.6
-53.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Buochs
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.3K
$79.1 CHF 64.6
-46.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.2K
$46.35 CHF 37.84
-63.75%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$21.59 CHF 17.63
-65.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Buochs
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$1,546 CHF 1,262
-48.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$25.1K CHF 20.5K
-51.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Buochs
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.4K
$140 CHF 115
-38.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.1K
$89.6 CHF 73.1
-33.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.2K
$149 CHF 121
-6.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 318.7K
$172 CHF 141
-42.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Buochs
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$1,830 CHF 1,494
-26.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$1,533 CHF 1,252
-56.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$3,141 CHF 2,564
-37.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$2,234 CHF 1,824
-53.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$14.4K CHF 11.7K
-71.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$10.7K CHF 8,704
-81.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Buochs
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
1.72
536.05%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Buochs: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Buochs
$1.5K 130% $866
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Buochs
$577 87.6% $269
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Buochs
$330 48.3% $107
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Buochs
$468 171% $296
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Buochs
$248 43.9% $76
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Buochs
$137 47.1% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Buochs
$122 115% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,830 in Buochs. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $121 in Buochs. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $577 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇨🇭 Buochs
🕒 Local time
03:20 3:20 AM
09:20 9:20 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
5,500
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.816 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.917 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Buochs 9,050 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Buochs

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 Buochs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and in Buochs compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,692 in Medellin, $3,415 in Buochs – Medellin comes out roughly 50% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Buochs?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $5,123 in Buochs. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and Buochs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,341 there versus $1,830 in Buochs.
How do commuting costs compare in Medellin and in Buochs?
Public transport costs about 24% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Buochs?
Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $1,546 in Buochs. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Buochs at $3,415. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Buochs it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Medellin or Buochs?
Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Where should expats move: Medellin or Buochs?
For expats, Medellin is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 50% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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