Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Uster

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,689 in Uster, rent and utilities included – about $24,900 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
178

Cost of Living Index in Uster
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Uster Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Uster

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Uster

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $3,689 in Uster, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Uster $3,689

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $5,289 in Uster, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Uster $5,289

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $6,889 in Uster, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Uster $6,889

Medellin is about 56% cheaper than Uster, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Uster sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Uster by 173%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$30.11 CHF 24.80

-73.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$120 CHF 98.7

-61.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$18.34 CHF 15.10

-48.20%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$6.04 CHF 4.97

-48.51%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$5.33 CHF 4.39

-65.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$4.79 CHF 3.95

-71.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$8.59 CHF 7.08

-64.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$6.73 CHF 5.54

-18.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$2.23 CHF 1.83

-34.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$3.34 CHF 2.75

-29.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$4.39 CHF 3.61

-61.73%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$7.35 CHF 6.05

-61.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$32.17 CHF 26.49

-68.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$29.34 CHF 24.17

-67.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$42.64 CHF 35.12

-67.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.44 CHF 2.84

18.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.10 CHF 1.73

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.81 CHF 2.31

-22.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$4.58 CHF 3.78

-49.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-5.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$2.18 CHF 1.79

-24.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.43 CHF 2.00

-53.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.33 CHF 1.10

-6.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$10.65 CHF 8.77

-62.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$12.97 CHF 10.69

2.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$3.25 CHF 2.68

-47.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.34 CHF 2.75

-29.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$4.60 CHF 3.79

-73.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$99.8 CHF 82.2

-23.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$5.46 CHF 4.50

-75.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$3.28 CHF 2.70

-34.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$59.4 CHF 48.94

-85.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-40.64%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$43.3K CHF 35.6K

-35.32%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

-10.84%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$233 CHF 192

-26.12%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$31.89 CHF 26.26

-58.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$65.4 CHF 53.8

-56.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$73.6 CHF 60.6

-38.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$45.51 CHF 37.49

-62.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$21.75 CHF 17.92

-71.13%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$1,802 CHF 1,484

-57.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$32.6K CHF 26.8K

-72.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$164 CHF 135

-47.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$86.4 CHF 71.1

-33.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$143 CHF 118

-4.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$173 CHF 142

-43.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$1,678 CHF 1,382

-37.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$1,759 CHF 1,448

-64.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$2,928 CHF 2,412

-35.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$2,382 CHF 1,962

-57.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$15.9K CHF 13.1K

-74.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$12.1K CHF 9,993

-86.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$6,850 CHF 5,642

-90.48%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Uster: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Uster

$1.8K 47.7% 186% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Uster

$623 16.9% 111% $328

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Uster

$330 9% 54.2% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Uster

$255 6.9% 50% $85

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Uster

$465 12.6% 176% $297

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Uster

$140 3.8% 50.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Uster

$117 3.2% 103% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,678 in Uster. 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 950% higher in Uster, 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 $120 in Uster. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $623 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Uster

🕒 Local time

02:19 2:19 AM

09:19 9:19 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

33,097

💱 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 Uster 9,070 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Uster

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 Uster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Uster is pricier by about 129%, 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 $5,534 in Uster. 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 $120 in Uster. 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 $3,689 in Uster. That's a gap of about 129%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Uster at $3,689. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Uster 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, Uster makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.