Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Vernier

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $3,467 in Vernier, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Vernier
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Vernier Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Vernier

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,467

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Vernier

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $3,467 in Vernier, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Vernier $3,467

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $5,180 in Vernier, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Vernier $5,180

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $6,893 in Vernier, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Vernier $6,893

Medellin is about 51% cheaper than Vernier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Vernier sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Vernier by 156%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$30.15 CHF 24.61

-72.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$122 CHF 99.8

-61.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$16.00 CHF 13.06

-40.81%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$6.23 CHF 5.08

-49.76%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$6.04 CHF 4.93

-70.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$6.08 CHF 4.96

-76.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$9.32 CHF 7.61

-66.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$9.96 CHF 8.13

-42.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-32.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$3.06 CHF 2.50

-25.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$3.26 CHF 2.66

-40.49%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$7.96 CHF 6.50

-61.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$24.73 CHF 20.19

-59.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$28.64 CHF 23.38

-63.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$39.27 CHF 32.06

-64.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$3.61 CHF 2.95

12.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$1.68 CHF 1.38

-8.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$2.77 CHF 2.26

-24.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$4.65 CHF 3.80

-50.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$1.60 CHF 1.30

31.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$2.10 CHF 1.71

-18.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$2.24 CHF 1.83

-47.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$1.30 CHF 1.06

21.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$11.03 CHF 9.01

-64.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$12.22 CHF 9.98

14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$2.22 CHF 1.81

-20.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$2.97 CHF 2.42

-8.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$4.26 CHF 3.48

-72.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$112 CHF 91.3

-31.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$7.81 CHF 6.38

-76.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$3.86 CHF 3.15

-44.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$64.6 CHF 52.7

-87.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$2.40 CHF 1.96

-46.67%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$38.7K CHF 31.6K

-11.05%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$40.2K CHF 32.8K

-15.13%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$277 CHF 226

-35.93%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$28.08 CHF 22.93

-50.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$56.6 CHF 46.21

-45.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$79.2 CHF 64.7

-47.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$43.69 CHF 35.67

-61.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$24.66 CHF 20.14

-69.71%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$2,508 CHF 2,048

-68.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$35.6K CHF 29.1K

-65.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$135 CHF 110

-35.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$61.9 CHF 50.5

-4.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$160 CHF 131

-13.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$191 CHF 156

-48.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,734 CHF 1,415

-22.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$1,524 CHF 1,244

-56.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$2,898 CHF 2,366

-31.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$2,401 CHF 1,960

-56.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$16.6K CHF 13.6K

-75.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$10.9K CHF 8,897

-82.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.98

452.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Vernier: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Vernier

$1.5K 44% 129% $857

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Vernier

$571 16.5% 85.7% $264

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Vernier

$362 10.4% 62.8% $140

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Vernier

$479 13.8% 177% $306

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Vernier

$247 7.1% 43.1% $74

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Vernier

$156 4.5% 66.8% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Vernier

$129 3.7% 126% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,734 in Vernier. 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 in Medellin versus $122 in Vernier. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $571 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Vernier

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

10:32 10:32 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

34,477

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.816 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.917 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Vernier 8,870 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Vernier

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 Vernier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $5,201 in Vernier. 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 $1,341 there versus $1,734 in Vernier.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $122 in Vernier. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $3,467 in Vernier. That makes Medellin about 51% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Vernier at $3,467. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vernier 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.

For expats, Medellin is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 51% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.