Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lachen

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $3,419 in Lachen, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Lachen
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Lachen Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Lachen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,419

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lachen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $3,419 in Lachen.

Medellin $1,625
Lachen $3,419

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $5,218 in Lachen.

Medellin $2,412
Lachen $5,218

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $7,017 in Lachen.

Medellin $3,199
Lachen $7,017

Living in Medellin costs roughly 52% less than in Lachen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Lachen 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$33.00 CHF 27.18

-74.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$121 CHF 99.4

-61.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$16.33 CHF 13.45

-43.42%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$6.19 CHF 5.10

-50.73%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$5.68 CHF 4.68

-68.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$5.11 CHF 4.20

-72.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$8.44 CHF 6.95

-61.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$9.62 CHF 7.92

-42.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-30.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$3.39 CHF 2.79

-30.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$4.33 CHF 3.57

-60.74%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$7.88 CHF 6.49

-62.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$26.48 CHF 21.81

-61.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$26.44 CHF 21.77

-63.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$39.73 CHF 32.72

-65.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.49 CHF 2.87

18.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$2.14 CHF 1.77

-28.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.63 CHF 2.17

-15.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$4.78 CHF 3.94

-52.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$2.01 CHF 1.65

-1.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$2.27 CHF 1.87

-26.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$2.44 CHF 2.01

-51.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.42 CHF 1.17

-12.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$11.07 CHF 9.12

-65.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$13.22 CHF 10.89

4.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.29 CHF 1.88

-27.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$3.35 CHF 2.76

-28.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$3.85 CHF 3.17

-67.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$110 CHF 90.7

-28.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$7.70 CHF 6.34

-83.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$4.95 CHF 4.07

-56.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$86.9 CHF 71.6

-90.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$2.29 CHF 1.89

-41.05%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$39.1K CHF 32.2K

-11.11%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$39.8K CHF 32.8K

-12.96%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$231 CHF 190

-27.73%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$31.78 CHF 26.18

-57.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$65.5 CHF 53.9

-55.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$88.5 CHF 72.9

-49.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$47.80 CHF 39.37

-64.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$21.69 CHF 17.86

-67.87%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$2,846 CHF 2,344

-72.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$44.9K CHF 37.0K

-79.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$139 CHF 114

-36.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$88.1 CHF 72.6

-33.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$147 CHF 121

-5.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$172 CHF 142

-42.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,745 CHF 1,437

-41.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$1,482 CHF 1,221

-58.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$2,930 CHF 2,413

-35.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$2,496 CHF 2,056

-59.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

-75.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$12.6K CHF 10.4K

-86.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$9,670 CHF 7,965

-93.14%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Lachen: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Lachen

$1.5K 43.4% 139% $863

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Lachen

$582 17% 95.3% $284

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Lachen

$328 9.6% 56.6% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Lachen

$246 7.2% 42.2% $73

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Lachen

$492 14.4% 188% $321

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Lachen

$158 4.6% 65.9% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Lachen

$132 3.9% 123% $73

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $1,745 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 1358% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $121 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $582 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Lachen

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

16:23 4:23 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

9,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Lachen 9,080 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Lachen

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 Lachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 110% lower than in Lachen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1358% lower in Lachen. 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,745 in Lachen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 41% less than in Lachen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $2,846 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $3,419 in Lachen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lachen. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,625 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Lachen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Lachen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.