Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Montreux

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,440 in Montreux, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 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 Montreux
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Montreux Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Montreux

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,440

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Montreux

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $3,440 in Montreux, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Montreux $3,440

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $5,245 in Montreux, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Montreux $5,245

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $7,050 in Montreux, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Montreux $7,050

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

Both Medellin and Montreux sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Montreux by 153%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$30.54 CHF 25.19

-73.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$125 CHF 103

-62.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$18.32 CHF 15.11

-48.14%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$6.07 CHF 5.01

-50.41%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$4.61 CHF 3.80

-60.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$4.05 CHF 3.34

-65.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$9.70 CHF 8.00

-67.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$9.49 CHF 7.82

-39.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-32.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$3.31 CHF 2.73

-28.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$3.32 CHF 2.74

-46.69%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$7.09 CHF 5.85

-59.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$24.79 CHF 20.45

-58.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$28.28 CHF 23.32

-65.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$39.88 CHF 32.89

-64.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.65 CHF 3.01

8.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.66 CHF 1.37

-6.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.46 CHF 2.03

-11.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$4.60 CHF 3.80

-52.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.86 CHF 1.53

5.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.92 CHF 1.58

-17.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.97 CHF 1.63

-41.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.69 CHF 1.39

-26.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$11.00 CHF 9.08

-64.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$12.05 CHF 9.94

13.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.73 CHF 2.25

-39.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$3.25 CHF 2.68

-30.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$4.21 CHF 3.47

-72.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$104 CHF 85.4

-25.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$7.47 CHF 6.16

-83.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$3.76 CHF 3.10

-45.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$64.8 CHF 53.4

-86.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$2.42 CHF 2.00

-44.21%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

-11.90%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$39.6K CHF 32.7K

-12.47%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$288 CHF 238

-41.16%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$37.64 CHF 31.04

-64.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$52.2 CHF 43.03

-46.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$89.6 CHF 73.9

-51.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$45.58 CHF 37.60

-62.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$24.18 CHF 19.95

-71.42%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$2,443 CHF 2,015

-67.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$35.9K CHF 29.6K

-74.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$135 CHF 111

-37.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$78.7 CHF 64.9

-26.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$168 CHF 139

-19.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$184 CHF 152

-46.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,773 CHF 1,462

-31.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,473 CHF 1,215

-56.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$2,960 CHF 2,441

-31.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$2,500 CHF 2,062

-59.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$16.4K CHF 13.5K

-74.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$12.5K CHF 10.3K

-84.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$8,161 CHF 6,731

-91.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.95

461.03%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Montreux: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Montreux

$1.5K 42.8% 130% $831

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Montreux

$575 16.7% 93.8% $278

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Montreux

$378 11% 79% $167

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Montreux

$474 13.8% 180% $305

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Montreux

$255 7.4% 50.7% $86

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Montreux

$147 4.3% 56.7% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Montreux

$138 4% 140% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,773 in Montreux. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Montreux are about 12 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $125 in Montreux. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $575 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Montreux

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

06:45 6:45 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

26,208

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 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

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Between locations

Medellin Montreux 8,930 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Montreux

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 Montreux: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreux is pricier by about 110%, 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 $5,160 in Montreux. 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 $1,773 in Montreux.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $125 in Montreux. 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 $3,440 in Montreux. 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 Montreux at $3,440. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreux it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $3,440 in Montreux. 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, Montreux makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.