Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Riehen

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,443 in Riehen, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
165

Cost of Living Index in Riehen
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Riehen Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Riehen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,443

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Riehen

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $3,443 in Riehen, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Riehen $3,443

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $5,179 in Riehen, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Riehen $5,179

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $6,916 in Riehen, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Riehen $6,916

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$29.94 CHF 24.70

-72.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$122 CHF 101

-61.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$15.88 CHF 13.10

-40.18%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$6.29 CHF 5.19

-52.15%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$4.87 CHF 4.01

-63.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$5.26 CHF 4.34

-73.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$7.06 CHF 5.82

-54.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.77 CHF 5.59

-15.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-31.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$3.29 CHF 2.71

-27.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$3.56 CHF 2.94

-50.28%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$7.44 CHF 6.13

-61.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$24.29 CHF 20.04

-58.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$25.08 CHF 20.69

-60.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$37.05 CHF 30.56

-62.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.36 CHF 2.77

18.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.70 CHF 1.40

-8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.45 CHF 2.02

-11.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$4.43 CHF 3.65

-50.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.72 CHF 1.42

13.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$2.01 CHF 1.66

-20.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$2.24 CHF 1.85

-48.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.24 CHF 1.03

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$11.05 CHF 9.12

-64.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$10.35 CHF 8.53

32.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$3.43 CHF 2.83

-51.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.44 CHF 2.01

-7.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$4.17 CHF 3.44

-71.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$99.9 CHF 82.4

-22.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$9.90 CHF 8.16

-87.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$4.08 CHF 3.37

-49.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$73.6 CHF 60.7

-88.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-39.46%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$38.6K CHF 31.8K

-11.71%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$39.9K CHF 32.9K

-13.04%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$341 CHF 281

-50.22%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$41.65 CHF 34.35

-67.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$57.8 CHF 47.69

-51.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$88.1 CHF 72.7

-50.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$45.63 CHF 37.64

-62.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$21.31 CHF 17.57

-67.57%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$1,792 CHF 1,478

-55.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$37.0K CHF 30.5K

-75.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$102 CHF 84.0

-16.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$58.0 CHF 47.84

-0.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$165 CHF 136

-18.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$191 CHF 157

-48.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,775 CHF 1,464

-31.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,498 CHF 1,235

-57.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$3,446 CHF 2,842

-41.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$2,496 CHF 2,058

-59.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$16.8K CHF 13.9K

-75.19%

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

$8,542 CHF 7,045

-92.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.31

373.59%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Riehen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Riehen

$1.5K 43.5% 134% $856

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Riehen

$543 15.8% 82.8% $246

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Riehen

$440 12.8% 108% $229

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Riehen

$452 13.1% 167% $282

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Riehen

$232 6.8% 37.4% $63

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Riehen

$147 4.3% 57% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Riehen

$131 3.8% 127% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,775 in Riehen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Riehen 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 $122 in Riehen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $543 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Riehen

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

08:03 8:03 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

20,970

💱 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 Riehen 8,990 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Riehen

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 Riehen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Riehen 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 $5,164 in Riehen. 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 $1,775 in Riehen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $122 in Riehen. 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 $3,443 in Riehen. 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 Riehen at $3,443. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riehen 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, Riehen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.