Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Meilen

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,386 in Meilen, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
164

Cost of Living Index in Meilen
Learn more

Meilen Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Meilen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,386

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Meilen

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $3,386 in Meilen, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Meilen $3,386

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $5,977 in Meilen, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Meilen $5,977

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $8,568 in Meilen, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Meilen $8,568

Medellin is about 52% cheaper than Meilen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Meilen sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Meilen by 149%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$32.96 CHF 27.19

-75.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$120 CHF 98.8

-60.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$16.48 CHF 13.60

-42.35%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$6.36 CHF 5.24

-52.67%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$5.76 CHF 4.75

-68.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$5.25 CHF 4.33

-73.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$8.63 CHF 7.12

-63.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$8.56 CHF 7.06

-32.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-30.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$3.42 CHF 2.82

-30.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$3.74 CHF 3.08

-52.67%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$7.85 CHF 6.48

-63.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$26.09 CHF 21.52

-60.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$25.84 CHF 21.32

-61.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$39.94 CHF 32.94

-64.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.49 CHF 2.88

13.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.11 CHF 1.74

-26.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.71 CHF 2.24

-19.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$4.50 CHF 3.71

-51.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$2.07 CHF 1.71

-5.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-27.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$2.36 CHF 1.94

-51.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$1.26 CHF 1.04

-1.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$11.05 CHF 9.12

-64.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$13.29 CHF 10.96

2.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$2.25 CHF 1.85

-26.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$3.15 CHF 2.60

-28.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$4.43 CHF 3.65

-73.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$102 CHF 84.2

-24.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$7.64 CHF 6.30

-83.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$4.50 CHF 3.71

-54.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$87.5 CHF 72.2

-90.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$2.19 CHF 1.81

-38.36%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$38.6K CHF 31.9K

-11.85%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

-11.01%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$234 CHF 193

-27.45%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$38.39 CHF 31.67

-64.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$64.6 CHF 53.3

-56.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$90.9 CHF 75.0

-51.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$45.64 CHF 37.65

-62.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$23.65 CHF 19.51

-70.78%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$2,822 CHF 2,328

-71.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$42.6K CHF 35.2K

-78.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$138 CHF 114

-38.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$58.1 CHF 47.96

-0.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$145 CHF 120

-7.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$175 CHF 144

-43.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,778 CHF 1,466

-32.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,463 CHF 1,207

-56.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$2,894 CHF 2,388

-29.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$4,088 CHF 3,372

-75.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$16.4K CHF 13.5K

-74.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$12.6K CHF 10.4K

-84.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$8,262 CHF 6,815

-92.05%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Meilen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Meilen

$1.5K 43.2% 128% $821

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Meilen

$572 16.9% 92.7% $275

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Meilen

$337 10% 59.4% $126

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Meilen

$494 14.6% 191% $324

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Meilen

$232 6.9% 37.4% $63

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Meilen

$150 4.4% 60.2% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Meilen

$138 4.1% 140% $81

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,778 in Meilen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Meilen are about 13 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $120 in Meilen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $572 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Meilen

🕒 Local time

20:02 8:02 PM

02:02 2:02 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

13,515

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.825 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.921 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Meilen 9,060 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Meilen

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 Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Meilen is pricier by about 107%, 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 $5,079 in Meilen. 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 $1,778 in Meilen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $120 in Meilen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $3,386 in Meilen. That makes Medellin about 52% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Meilen at $3,386. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Meilen 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, Meilen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.