Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Embrach

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $3,563 in Embrach, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Embrach
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Embrach Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Embrach

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,563

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Embrach

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $3,563 in Embrach, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Embrach $3,563

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $5,363 in Embrach, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Embrach $5,363

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $7,163 in Embrach, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Embrach $7,163

Medellin is about 53% cheaper than Embrach, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Embrach sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Embrach by 164%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.8K

$30.30 CHF 24.78

-72.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 149.7K

$124 CHF 101

-62.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$18.53 CHF 15.15

-48.89%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$6.21 CHF 5.08

-49.60%

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

$1.77 COP 5,681

$5.43 CHF 4.44

-67.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,582

$4.82 CHF 3.95

-70.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.1K

$8.91 CHF 7.29

-64.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.3K

$7.23 CHF 5.91

-21.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,930

$2.15 CHF 1.76

-28.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,370

$3.84 CHF 3.14

-40.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,257

$3.33 CHF 2.73

-41.74%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,864

$7.93 CHF 6.49

-61.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.1K

$29.57 CHF 24.18

-66.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.6K

$28.12 CHF 23.00

-62.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 44.9K

$41.77 CHF 34.16

-66.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.0K

$3.50 CHF 2.87

15.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,916

$2.06 CHF 1.68

-25.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,769

$2.86 CHF 2.34

-26.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,378

$4.13 CHF 3.37

-44.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,785

$1.69 CHF 1.38

24.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,498

$2.33 CHF 1.91

-26.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,764

$2.30 CHF 1.88

-49.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,083

$1.28 CHF 1.04

23.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$9.54 CHF 7.80

-59.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.2K

$12.34 CHF 10.09

13.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,667

$2.81 CHF 2.30

-37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,724

$3.08 CHF 2.52

-12.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,795

$4.97 CHF 4.06

-76.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 245.4K

$103 CHF 84.5

-26.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,812

$7.07 CHF 5.79

-74.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,849

$4.56 CHF 3.73

-53.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$87.0 CHF 71.1

-90.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,102

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-43.86%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

$43.5K CHF 35.6K

-20.81%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$35.7K CHF 29.2K

-4.41%

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

$178 COP 571.7K

$284 CHF 232

-37.36%

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

$13.89 COP 44.7K

$32.92 CHF 26.93

-57.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 98.9K

$56.0 CHF 45.81

-45.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 134.9K

$84.5 CHF 69.1

-50.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.0K

$45.47 CHF 37.19

-63.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.0K

$23.65 CHF 19.34

-68.41%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$2,564 CHF 2,097

-69.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.6M

$36.7K CHF 30.0K

-66.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 277.7K

$147 CHF 120

-41.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 190.6K

$66.1 CHF 54.0

-10.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 445.0K

$161 CHF 132

-14.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 317.8K

$188 CHF 153

-47.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,805 CHF 1,477

-25.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.1M

$1,580 CHF 1,292

-57.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$3,024 CHF 2,473

-34.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$2,573 CHF 2,104

-59.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$15.0K CHF 12.3K

-72.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.2M

$11.0K CHF 9,008

-82.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$6,698 CHF 5,479

-90.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.03

438.92%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Embrach: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Embrach

$1.6K 44.3% 137% $912

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Embrach

$601 16.9% 95.4% $293

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Embrach

$373 10.5% 67.6% $150

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Embrach

$473 13.3% 174% $300

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Embrach

$253 7.1% 46.8% $81

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Embrach

$153 4.3% 63.7% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Embrach

$132 3.7% 132% $75

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,805 in Embrach. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Embrach are about 10 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $124 in Embrach. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $601 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Embrach

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

02:17 2:17 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

9,300

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,217 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.818 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.918 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Embrach 9,060 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Embrach

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 Embrach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,692 in Medellin, $3,563 in Embrach – Medellin comes out roughly 53% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $5,344 in Embrach. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,341 there versus $1,805 in Embrach.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $3,563 in Embrach. That makes Medellin about 53% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Embrach at $3,563. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Embrach it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Embrach makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.