Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dubendorf

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,703 in Dubendorf, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 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
178

Cost of Living Index in Dubendorf
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Dubendorf Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Dubendorf

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,703

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dubendorf

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $3,703 in Dubendorf.

Medellin $1,639
Dubendorf $3,703

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $5,478 in Dubendorf.

Medellin $2,413
Dubendorf $5,478

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $7,254 in Dubendorf.

Medellin $3,186
Dubendorf $7,254

Living in Medellin costs roughly 56% less than in Dubendorf, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Dubendorf 172% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$30.16 CHF 25.02

-73.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$123 CHF 102

-61.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$16.15 CHF 13.40

-41.18%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$6.08 CHF 5.05

-50.49%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$5.41 CHF 4.49

-66.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$4.93 CHF 4.09

-71.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$8.67 CHF 7.19

-63.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$6.83 CHF 5.66

-15.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$2.18 CHF 1.81

-30.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$3.64 CHF 3.02

-34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$4.38 CHF 3.63

-59.59%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$7.01 CHF 5.82

-58.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$31.29 CHF 25.96

-67.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$25.64 CHF 21.27

-61.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$41.22 CHF 34.19

-66.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.59 CHF 2.97

10.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$2.15 CHF 1.79

-27.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$3.07 CHF 2.54

-28.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$6.43 CHF 5.33

-66.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$2.36 CHF 1.96

-16.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.25 CHF 1.87

-29.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$2.39 CHF 1.98

-51.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.37 CHF 1.14

-9.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$10.79 CHF 8.95

-63.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$13.09 CHF 10.86

4.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$2.34 CHF 1.94

-29.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$3.44 CHF 2.85

-34.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$2.44 CHF 2.03

-52.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$48.16 CHF 39.95

60.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$4.52 CHF 3.75

-71.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$2.85 CHF 2.37

-28.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$60.6 CHF 50.3

-85.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$2.22 CHF 1.84

-39.19%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$39.1K CHF 32.5K

-12.96%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$38.7K CHF 32.1K

-10.45%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$236 CHF 195

-27.97%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$28.31 CHF 23.49

-52.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$66.6 CHF 55.3

-57.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$119 CHF 98.9

-63.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$78.9 CHF 65.4

-78.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$23.79 CHF 19.74

-70.95%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$1,532 CHF 1,271

-47.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$25.0K CHF 20.7K

-63.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$137 CHF 114

-38.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$87.2 CHF 72.3

-33.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$148 CHF 123

-9.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$170 CHF 141

-42.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$1,783 CHF 1,479

-32.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$1,816 CHF 1,507

-64.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$2,871 CHF 2,382

-29.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$2,799 CHF 2,322

-63.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$12.0K CHF 9,942

-65.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$7,263 CHF 6,025

-73.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,773 CHF 3,130

-82.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.41

353.94%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dubendorf: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Dubendorf

$1.8K 49.1% 183% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Dubendorf

$607 16.4% 104% $310

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Dubendorf

$330 8.9% 56.4% $119

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Dubendorf

$461 12.5% 172% $292

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Dubendorf

$245 6.6% 44.7% $76

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Dubendorf

$77 2.1% 18% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Dubendorf

$167 4.5% 190% $109

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $1,783 in Dubendorf. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubendorf pays about 5.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $123 in Dubendorf for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $607 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Dubendorf

🕒 Local time

23:02 11:02 PM

05:02 5:02 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

26,759

💱 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.924 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Dubendorf 9,060 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dubendorf

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 Dubendorf: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $3,703 in Dubendorf, so Medellin is about 56% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 83% 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 $1,783 in Dubendorf. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $3,703 in Dubendorf – Medellin is about 56% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Dubendorf runs roughly 38% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,639 in Medellin versus $3,703 in Dubendorf, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Dubendorf. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Dubendorf on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.