Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Staefa

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $3,334 in Staefa, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 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
167

Cost of Living Index in Staefa
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Staefa Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Staefa

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,334

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Staefa

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $3,334 in Staefa, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Staefa $3,334

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $5,350 in Staefa, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Staefa $5,350

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $7,365 in Staefa, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Staefa $7,365

Medellin is about 51% cheaper than Staefa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Staefa sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Staefa by 146%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$32.82 CHF 27.03

-74.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$121 CHF 99.3

-61.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$16.37 CHF 13.49

-43.56%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$6.22 CHF 5.12

-50.96%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$5.88 CHF 4.84

-69.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$5.00 CHF 4.12

-72.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$8.26 CHF 6.80

-60.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$8.41 CHF 6.93

-33.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$3.45 CHF 2.84

-31.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$3.77 CHF 3.11

-54.91%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$8.37 CHF 6.90

-64.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$26.91 CHF 22.17

-62.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$25.91 CHF 21.34

-62.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$55.2 CHF 45.46

-74.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.47 CHF 2.86

19.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$2.75 CHF 2.27

-44.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$3.58 CHF 2.95

-37.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$4.48 CHF 3.69

-49.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$2.49 CHF 2.05

-20.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$2.28 CHF 1.88

-26.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$2.48 CHF 2.05

-52.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.29 CHF 1.06

-3.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$10.79 CHF 8.88

-64.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$13.68 CHF 11.27

0.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.74 CHF 2.26

-39.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$3.21 CHF 2.64

-25.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$4.37 CHF 3.60

-71.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$100 CHF 82.5

-21.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$7.40 CHF 6.10

-82.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$4.73 CHF 3.89

-54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$87.0 CHF 71.7

-90.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$2.34 CHF 1.93

-42.31%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-12.25%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$39.5K CHF 32.5K

-12.15%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$236 CHF 194

-29.38%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$31.65 CHF 26.06

-56.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$56.5 CHF 46.52

-48.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$79.0 CHF 65.1

-42.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$44.96 CHF 37.03

-61.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$22.08 CHF 18.18

-68.43%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$2,812 CHF 2,316

-71.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$42.2K CHF 34.7K

-78.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$138 CHF 113

-36.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$59.9 CHF 49.37

-2.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$147 CHF 121

-5.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$171 CHF 141

-42.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,581 CHF 1,302

-34.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$1,382 CHF 1,138

-55.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$2,894 CHF 2,383

-35.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$2,779 CHF 2,289

-63.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$17.3K CHF 14.3K

-76.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$14.1K CHF 11.6K

-87.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

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 19, 2026

Last update for Staefa: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Staefa

$1.4K 41.4% 123% $762

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Staefa

$637 19.1% 114% $339

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Staefa

$324 9.7% 54.8% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Staefa

$232 7% 34.4% $59

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Staefa

$488 14.6% 186% $317

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Staefa

$149 4.5% 56.2% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Staefa

$123 3.7% 109% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,581 in Staefa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $121 in Staefa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $637 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Staefa

🕒 Local time

07:30 7:30 AM

14:30 2:30 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

11,567

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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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Between locations

Medellin Staefa 9,070 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Staefa

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 Staefa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Staefa is pricier by about 105%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $5,002 in Staefa. 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $121 in Staefa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $3,334 in Staefa. That's a gap of about 105%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Staefa at $3,334. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Staefa 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, Staefa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.