Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Winterthur

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,759 in Winterthur, rent and utilities included – about $25,400 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
182

Cost of Living Index in Winterthur
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Winterthur Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Winterthur

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Winterthur

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $3,759 in Winterthur, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Winterthur $3,759

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $5,534 in Winterthur, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Winterthur $5,534

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $7,309 in Winterthur, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Winterthur $7,309

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

Both Medellin and Winterthur sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Winterthur by 176%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$29.70 CHF 24.37

-72.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$121 CHF 99.4

-61.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$17.77 CHF 14.58

-46.54%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$5.75 CHF 4.71

-47.65%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$5.35 CHF 4.39

-66.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$4.81 CHF 3.94

-70.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$8.70 CHF 7.14

-63.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.74 CHF 5.53

-14.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-32.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$3.65 CHF 3.00

-34.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$4.35 CHF 3.57

-59.31%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$7.05 CHF 5.79

-59.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$30.76 CHF 25.24

-66.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$29.27 CHF 24.01

-66.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$42.10 CHF 34.54

-66.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.05 CHF 3.32

-1.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$2.08 CHF 1.71

-25.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$3.02 CHF 2.48

-27.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$6.61 CHF 5.42

-67.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$2.33 CHF 1.91

-15.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$2.51 CHF 2.06

-36.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-49.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.11 CHF 0.91

11.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$10.68 CHF 8.76

-62.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$12.15 CHF 9.97

12.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.78 CHF 2.28

-40.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$3.56 CHF 2.92

-36.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$5.24 CHF 4.30

-77.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$83.1 CHF 68.2

-6.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$4.42 CHF 3.63

-71.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$2.96 CHF 2.43

-30.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$61.3 CHF 50.3

-86.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$2.28 CHF 1.87

-40.79%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$38.6K CHF 31.7K

-11.82%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$38.6K CHF 31.7K

-10.21%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$417 CHF 342

-59.32%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$28.64 CHF 23.50

-52.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$66.3 CHF 54.4

-57.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$71.5 CHF 58.6

-38.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$26.10 CHF 21.41

-34.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$21.50 CHF 17.64

-67.86%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$1,495 CHF 1,227

-46.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$24.7K CHF 20.3K

-63.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$181 CHF 148

-53.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$125 CHF 102

-53.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$173 CHF 142

-22.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$325 CHF 267

-69.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$2,166 CHF 1,777

-44.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,563 CHF 1,282

-58.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$3,461 CHF 2,839

-41.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$2,436 CHF 1,998

-58.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$21.3K CHF 17.5K

-80.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$15.2K CHF 12.5K

-87.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$6,646 CHF 5,452

-90.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.41

353.94%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Winterthur: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Winterthur

$1.6K 41.6% 144% $921

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Winterthur

$627 16.7% 111% $330

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Winterthur

$512 13.6% 142% $301

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Winterthur

$458 12.2% 170% $288

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Winterthur

$362 9.6% 114% $193

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Winterthur

$123 3.3% 31.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Winterthur

$114 3.1% 99% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $2,166 in Winterthur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Winterthur are about 10 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $121 in Winterthur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $627 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Winterthur

🕒 Local time

16:00 4:00 PM

22:00 10:00 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

108,044

💱 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.82 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.919 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Winterthur 9,070 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Winterthur

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 Winterthur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Winterthur is pricier by about 129%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $5,638 in Winterthur. 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 $2,166 in Winterthur.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $121 in Winterthur. 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 $3,759 in Winterthur. That makes Medellin about 56% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Winterthur at $3,759. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Winterthur 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, Winterthur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.