Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lancy

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $3,462 in Lancy, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Lancy
Learn more

Lancy Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Lancy

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,462

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lancy

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $3,462 in Lancy.

Medellin $1,692
Lancy $3,462

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $5,269 in Lancy.

Medellin $2,471
Lancy $5,269

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $7,075 in Lancy.

Medellin $3,249
Lancy $7,075

Living in Medellin costs roughly 51% less than in Lancy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Lancy 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$28.98 CHF 23.66

-71.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$124 CHF 101

-62.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$15.56 CHF 12.70

-39.14%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$6.48 CHF 5.29

-51.70%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$4.83 CHF 3.95

-63.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$4.16 CHF 3.40

-65.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$9.04 CHF 7.38

-65.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$7.76 CHF 6.34

-26.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-32.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$2.92 CHF 2.39

-21.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$3.18 CHF 2.60

-38.99%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$7.91 CHF 6.46

-61.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$24.19 CHF 19.75

-58.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$29.43 CHF 24.03

-64.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$39.61 CHF 32.34

-64.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$3.61 CHF 2.94

12.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$1.74 CHF 1.42

-12.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$2.76 CHF 2.25

-23.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$4.78 CHF 3.90

-52.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$1.63 CHF 1.33

29.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$2.00 CHF 1.64

-14.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$2.24 CHF 1.83

-47.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$1.35 CHF 1.10

17.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$11.16 CHF 9.11

-64.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$12.03 CHF 9.82

16.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-23.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$2.91 CHF 2.37

-6.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$4.58 CHF 3.74

-74.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$107 CHF 87.7

-28.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$7.73 CHF 6.31

-76.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$3.83 CHF 3.13

-44.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$64.8 CHF 52.9

-87.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$2.43 CHF 1.98

-47.33%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$39.1K CHF 31.9K

-11.81%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$39.8K CHF 32.5K

-14.23%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$274 CHF 223

-35.06%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$28.38 CHF 23.17

-51.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$54.7 CHF 44.64

-43.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$87.0 CHF 71.0

-51.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$52.9 CHF 43.18

-68.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$24.23 CHF 19.79

-69.17%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$2,564 CHF 2,094

-69.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$35.2K CHF 28.7K

-65.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$139 CHF 114

-38.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$60.8 CHF 49.62

-2.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$158 CHF 129

-12.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$188 CHF 153

-47.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,809 CHF 1,477

-25.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$1,544 CHF 1,261

-56.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$2,929 CHF 2,391

-32.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$2,603 CHF 2,126

-60.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$14.9K CHF 12.2K

-72.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$12.1K CHF 9,880

-83.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lancy: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Lancy

$1.5K 44.6% 132% $877

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Lancy

$574 16.6% 86.6% $266

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Lancy

$357 10.3% 60.4% $134

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Lancy

$453 13.1% 162% $280

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Lancy

$246 7.1% 42.7% $74

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Lancy

$153 4.4% 63.3% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Lancy

$135 3.9% 138% $79

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $1,809 in Lancy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $124 in Lancy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $574 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Lancy

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

09:48 9:48 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

10,919

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.816 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.917 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Lancy 8,870 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Lancy

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 Lancy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is about 51% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,538 in Medellin and $5,192 in Lancy to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,809 in Lancy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $3,462 in Lancy – Medellin is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 29% less than in Lancy. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,692 in Medellin versus $3,462 in Lancy, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lancy. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lancy, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Lancy. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.