Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lachen Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lachen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $3,280 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $5,000 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $6,720 in Lachen.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 69% less than in Lachen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Lachen is 146% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$30.87 CHF 24.48

-80.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$146 CHF 116

-77.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$18.39 CHF 14.58

-59.65%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$6.15 CHF 4.88

-73.17%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$5.72 CHF 4.54

-81.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$5.19 CHF 4.11

-85.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$7.39 CHF 5.86

-76.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$7.01 CHF 5.56

-54.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$2.29 CHF 1.81

-54.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$2.62 CHF 2.08

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$2.43 CHF 1.93

-44.86%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$8.30 CHF 6.58

-73.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$27.92 CHF 22.14

-84.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$14.89 CHF 11.81

-61.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$40.81 CHF 32.36

-79.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$3.13 CHF 2.48

-25.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$1.89 CHF 1.50

-41.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$2.42 CHF 1.92

-37.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$4.95 CHF 3.93

-72.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$2.52 CHF 2.00

-54.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$2.37 CHF 1.88

-50.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$2.58 CHF 2.05

-67.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$1.15 CHF 0.91

-25.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$10.77 CHF 8.54

-79.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$11.68 CHF 9.27

-0.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$2.23 CHF 1.77

-46.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$2.29 CHF 1.82

8.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$3.82 CHF 3.03

-79.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

$100 CHF 79.6

-59.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$6.77 CHF 5.37

-78.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$4.27 CHF 3.39

-55.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$79.7 CHF 63.2

-90.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$2.19 CHF 1.74

-53.88%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$40.3K CHF 32.0K

-56.21%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$42.0K CHF 33.3K

-36.95%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$124 CHF 98.3

-34.54%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$59.9 CHF 47.50

-84.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$53.8 CHF 42.68

-55.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$89.2 CHF 70.7

-70.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$21.96 CHF 17.41

-81.38%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$2,789 CHF 2,212

-88.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$35.3K CHF 28.0K

-82.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$122 CHF 96.6

-50.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$66.0 CHF 52.3

-51.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$157 CHF 125

-35.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$230 CHF 182

-54.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$1,693 CHF 1,343

-71.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$1,463 CHF 1,160

-75.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$2,778 CHF 2,203

-70.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$2,509 CHF 1,990

-70.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$16.4K CHF 13.0K

-81.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$11.6K CHF 9,166

-88.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$10.1K CHF 7,971

-94.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

2.5

437.20%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Lachen: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $1,693 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 1725% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $146 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $510 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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 219% 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, Lachen earns 1725% less. 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: $485 in Medellin versus $1,693 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 146% less than in Lachen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $2,789 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $3,280 in Lachen, a $1,500 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 $1,028 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 219% less than in Lachen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.