Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Geneva

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $4,079 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $29,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
198

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
Learn more

Geneva Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,079

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Geneva

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $4,079 in Geneva, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Geneva $4,079

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $6,308 in Geneva, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Geneva $6,308

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $8,538 in Geneva, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Geneva $8,538

Medellin is about 60% cheaper than Geneva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Geneva sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Geneva by 200%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$30.31 CHF 25.15

-73.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$129 CHF 107

-63.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$19.47 CHF 16.15

-51.21%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$6.40 CHF 5.31

-52.97%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$4.66 CHF 3.87

-61.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$4.13 CHF 3.43

-65.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$9.82 CHF 8.14

-67.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$9.87 CHF 8.19

-41.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$2.35 CHF 1.95

-35.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$3.26 CHF 2.70

-26.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$3.39 CHF 2.81

-47.79%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$8.18 CHF 6.78

-64.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$25.05 CHF 20.78

-59.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$29.22 CHF 24.24

-66.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$42.51 CHF 35.27

-67.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.53 CHF 2.93

12.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.63 CHF 1.35

-4.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.85 CHF 2.36

-23.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$4.90 CHF 4.07

-55.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.64 CHF 1.36

19.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.29 CHF 1.90

-30.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$2.19 CHF 1.82

-47.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.66 CHF 1.38

-25.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$10.97 CHF 9.10

-63.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$12.16 CHF 10.08

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$3.21 CHF 2.66

-48.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$3.30 CHF 2.74

-31.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$3.55 CHF 2.95

-67.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$85.8 CHF 71.2

-9.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$7.61 CHF 6.31

-83.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$3.76 CHF 3.12

-45.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$64.2 CHF 53.2

-86.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$2.35 CHF 1.95

-42.55%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$39.5K CHF 32.8K

-13.85%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$38.8K CHF 32.2K

-10.75%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$280 CHF 232

-39.38%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$37.96 CHF 31.49

-64.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$57.6 CHF 47.74

-51.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$77.0 CHF 63.8

-43.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$43.34 CHF 35.95

-60.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$23.96 CHF 19.88

-71.16%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$2,484 CHF 2,061

-67.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$35.2K CHF 29.2K

-74.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$133 CHF 110

-36.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$79.1 CHF 65.6

-26.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$169 CHF 140

-19.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$188 CHF 156

-48.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$2,825 CHF 2,344

-57.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$2,115 CHF 1,754

-69.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$5,088 CHF 4,221

-60.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$3,963 CHF 3,287

-74.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$22.5K CHF 18.6K

-81.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

-88.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$7,271 CHF 6,032

-90.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.98

452.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Geneva: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9% 230% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Geneva

$600 14.7% 102% $303

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Geneva

$375 9.2% 77.7% $164

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Geneva

$482 11.8% 184% $312

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Geneva

$256 6.3% 51.6% $87

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Geneva

$126 3.1% 35.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Geneva

$125 3.1% 117% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $2,825 in Geneva. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Geneva are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $129 in Geneva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $600 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Geneva

🕒 Local time

15:34 3:34 PM

21:34 9:34 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

191,557

💱 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 = 3,502 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 = 0.924 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Geneva 8,870 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Geneva

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 Geneva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 149%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $6,118 in Geneva. 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 $1,208 there versus $2,825 in Geneva.

Groceries cost about 102% more in Geneva, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $129 in Geneva. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Geneva at $4,079. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Geneva it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $4,079 in Geneva. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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