Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Thun

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,388 in Thun, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 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 Thun
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Thun Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Thun

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Thun

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $3,388 in Thun, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Thun $3,388

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $5,170 in Thun, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Thun $5,170

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $6,952 in Thun, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Thun $6,952

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

Both Medellin and Thun sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Thun by 151%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$28.31 CHF 23.32

-71.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$122 CHF 100

-62.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$15.51 CHF 12.77

-38.75%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$6.45 CHF 5.31

-51.78%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$6.28 CHF 5.17

-70.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$5.88 CHF 4.84

-76.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$8.85 CHF 7.29

-65.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$7.67 CHF 6.32

-28.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$2.13 CHF 1.76

-31.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.99 CHF 2.46

-21.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$3.13 CHF 2.58

-46.33%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$7.60 CHF 6.26

-62.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$23.82 CHF 19.62

-57.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$26.88 CHF 22.14

-64.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$39.26 CHF 32.34

-64.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.55 CHF 2.92

14.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.96 CHF 1.61

-23.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.65 CHF 2.18

-18.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$4.73 CHF 3.90

-51.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.56 CHF 1.28

23.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$2.00 CHF 1.65

-18.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-48.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.28 CHF 1.05

-2.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$11.25 CHF 9.26

-64.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$12.09 CHF 9.96

10.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-24.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.92 CHF 2.41

-18.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$4.49 CHF 3.70

-73.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$100 CHF 82.6

-23.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$8.04 CHF 6.62

-83.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$4.53 CHF 3.73

-52.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$82.9 CHF 68.3

-89.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$2.38 CHF 1.96

-45.38%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$42.5K CHF 35.0K

-34.19%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

-10.22%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$289 CHF 238

-40.49%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$46.36 CHF 38.18

-71.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$62.8 CHF 51.7

-54.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$89.8 CHF 74.0

-49.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$46.01 CHF 37.89

-62.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$23.22 CHF 19.12

-72.95%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$3,058 CHF 2,519

-74.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$30.5K CHF 25.1K

-70.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$144 CHF 119

-39.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$78.8 CHF 64.9

-27.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$159 CHF 131

-14.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$192 CHF 158

-48.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$1,685 CHF 1,388

-37.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$1,432 CHF 1,180

-57.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$2,842 CHF 2,341

-33.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$2,457 CHF 2,023

-58.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$16.2K CHF 13.4K

-74.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$11.8K CHF 9,721

-85.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$5,785 CHF 4,765

-88.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.42

352.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Thun: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Thun

$1.4K 42.3% 133% $817

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Thun

$556 16.4% 88.5% $261

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Thun

$398 11.8% 86% $184

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Thun

$258 7.6% 51.9% $88

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Thun

$459 13.5% 172% $290

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Thun

$149 4.4% 59.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Thun

$136 4% 136% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,685 in Thun. 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 787% higher in Thun, 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 $122 in Thun. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $556 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Thun

🕒 Local time

03:41 3:41 AM

10:41 10:41 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

43,905

💱 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 Thun 8,980 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Thun

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 Thun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Thun is pricier by about 110%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $5,083 in Thun. 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 $122 in Thun. 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 $3,388 in Thun. That's a gap of about 110%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Thun at $3,388. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thun 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Thun makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.