Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chur

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,283 in Chur, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Chur, Switzerland
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Chur
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,283
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chur

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $3,283 in Chur, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Chur $3,283

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $5,109 in Chur, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Chur $5,109

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $6,934 in Chur, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Chur $6,934

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

Both Medellin and Chur sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Chur by 141%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Chur
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$29.44 CHF 24.28
-72.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.7K
$111 CHF 91.4
-57.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.6K
$15.99 CHF 13.19
-40.59%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,722
$5.67 CHF 4.68
-46.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,801
$5.51 CHF 4.54
-67.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,554
$5.08 CHF 4.19
-72.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.2K
$8.69 CHF 7.16
-63.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.5K
$8.68 CHF 7.16
-33.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Chur
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,869
$2.15 CHF 1.78
-29.77%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,667
$3.42 CHF 2.82
-30.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,712
$4.22 CHF 3.48
-58.06%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,320
$7.59 CHF 6.26
-61.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$26.51 CHF 21.87
-61.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.8K
$26.64 CHF 21.98
-62.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.1K
$39.08 CHF 32.24
-64.20%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$3.42 CHF 2.82
16.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,005
$2.13 CHF 1.75
-27.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,039
$2.68 CHF 2.21
-18.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,041
$4.58 CHF 3.78
-52.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,328
$1.89 CHF 1.56
3.70%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,125
$2.18 CHF 1.80
-27.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,694
$2.36 CHF 1.95
-51.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,009
$1.36 CHF 1.12
-8.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$10.94 CHF 9.03
-63.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.1K
$12.75 CHF 10.52
7.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,352
$2.38 CHF 1.96
-30.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,281
$3.40 CHF 2.80
-33.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Chur
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,766
$5.47 CHF 4.52
-78.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.5K
$184 CHF 152
-57.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,089
$7.46 CHF 6.16
-82.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,603
$4.94 CHF 4.08
-58.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$88.7 CHF 73.2
-90.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,343
$2.22 CHF 1.83
-39.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.8M
$39.1K CHF 32.2K
-12.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.8M
$38.5K CHF 31.7K
-9.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Chur
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.0K
$232 CHF 191
-26.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$31.60 CHF 26.07
-57.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.5K
$53.8 CHF 44.39
-47.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Chur
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 140.9K
$78.3 CHF 64.6
-44.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.4K
$33.63 CHF 27.74
-48.88%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$23.22 CHF 19.15
-70.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Chur
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$2,413 CHF 1,990
-66.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$44.9K CHF 37.0K
-79.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Chur
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.2K
$91.1 CHF 75.2
-7.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 186.9K
$48.03 CHF 39.62
20.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.2K
$120 CHF 98.9
12.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 315.6K
$169 CHF 139
-42.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Chur
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$1,715 CHF 1,414
-29.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$1,379 CHF 1,137
-53.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$3,015 CHF 2,487
-32.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$2,550 CHF 2,104
-60.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.4M
$7,109 CHF 5,864
-41.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$5,446 CHF 4,492
-64.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Chur
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$8,497 CHF 7,009
-92.27%
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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chur: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Chur
$1.4K 115% $737
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Chur
$576 94.1% $279
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Chur
$318 50.3% $106
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Chur
$455 168% $285
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Chur
$193 14% $24
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Chur
$238 155% $145
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Chur
$125 117% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,715 in Chur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chur are about 13 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $111 in Chur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $576 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇨🇭 Chur
🕒 Local time
19:06 7:06 PM
01:06 1:06 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
37,082
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.825 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.921 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Chur 9,130 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Chur

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 Chur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and in Chur compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $3,283 in Chur – 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 Chur?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $4,924 in Chur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and Chur?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,715 in Chur.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Chur?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $2,413 in Chur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 94% more in Chur, though the gap depends on what you buy.
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 $1,639, than in Chur at $3,283. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chur it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Medellin or Chur?
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.
How do I decide between Medellin and Chur?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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