Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Neuchatel

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,172 in Neuchatel, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 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
156

Cost of Living Index in Neuchatel
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Neuchatel Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Neuchatel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,172

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Neuchatel

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $3,172 in Neuchatel, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Neuchatel $3,172

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $4,877 in Neuchatel, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Neuchatel $4,877

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $6,583 in Neuchatel, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Neuchatel $6,583

Medellin is about 49% cheaper than Neuchatel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Neuchatel sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Neuchatel by 135%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$26.68 CHF 21.98

-70.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$116 CHF 95.6

-60.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$17.96 CHF 14.79

-47.10%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$5.90 CHF 4.86

-47.29%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$3.98 CHF 3.28

-54.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$3.35 CHF 2.76

-58.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$9.38 CHF 7.73

-67.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$7.20 CHF 5.93

-23.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$2.06 CHF 1.70

-29.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$3.09 CHF 2.54

-23.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$3.19 CHF 2.63

-47.34%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$6.84 CHF 5.63

-58.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$25.39 CHF 20.91

-59.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$27.24 CHF 22.43

-65.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$39.83 CHF 32.80

-64.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.17 CHF 2.61

28.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.15 CHF 1.77

-30.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.91 CHF 2.39

-25.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$4.59 CHF 3.78

-49.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.66 CHF 1.37

16.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.96 CHF 1.61

-16.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.22 CHF 1.83

-49.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.21 CHF 1.00

3.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$10.92 CHF 8.99

-63.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$12.01 CHF 9.90

11.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.54 CHF 2.10

-33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.52 CHF 2.08

-5.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$2.94 CHF 2.42

-58.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$91.8 CHF 75.6

-16.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$7.91 CHF 6.51

-83.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$4.26 CHF 3.51

-49.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$76.4 CHF 62.9

-88.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$2.33 CHF 1.92

-44.21%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$38.9K CHF 32.0K

-28.05%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$38.4K CHF 31.6K

-7.82%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$240 CHF 198

-28.34%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$45.61 CHF 37.56

-70.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$41.94 CHF 34.54

-31.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$97.8 CHF 80.5

-53.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$41.55 CHF 34.22

-58.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$21.62 CHF 17.80

-70.95%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$2,467 CHF 2,032

-68.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$26.2K CHF 21.6K

-65.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$125 CHF 103

-30.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$50.2 CHF 41.35

13.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$147 CHF 121

-7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$144 CHF 119

-31.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$1,662 CHF 1,368

-36.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$1,372 CHF 1,130

-55.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$2,627 CHF 2,164

-27.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$2,373 CHF 1,954

-56.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$20.7K CHF 17.0K

-80.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$13.5K CHF 11.1K

-87.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$6,930 CHF 5,707

-90.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.87

485.03%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Neuchatel: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Neuchatel

$1.4K 43.2% 123% $756

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Neuchatel

$561 17.7% 90.4% $266

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Neuchatel

$328 10.3% 53% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Neuchatel

$210 6.6% 23.2% $40

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Neuchatel

$429 13.5% 155% $260

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Neuchatel

$133 4.2% 42.2% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Neuchatel

$141 4.4% 144% $83

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,662 in Neuchatel. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 962% higher in Neuchatel, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $116 in Neuchatel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $561 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Neuchatel

🕒 Local time

23:19 11:19 PM

06:19 6:19 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

33,641

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Neuchatel 8,930 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Neuchatel

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 Neuchatel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Neuchatel is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $4,758 in Neuchatel. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $116 in Neuchatel. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $3,172 in Neuchatel. That's a gap of about 97%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Neuchatel at $3,172. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Neuchatel 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Neuchatel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.