Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Yens

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $3,568 in Yens, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Yens
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Yens Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Yens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Yens

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $3,568 in Yens, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Yens $3,568

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $5,328 in Yens, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Yens $5,328

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $7,088 in Yens, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Yens $7,088

Medellin is about 53% cheaper than Yens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Yens sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Yens by 164%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$29.48 CHF 24.07

-71.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$116 CHF 94.4

-59.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$16.12 CHF 13.16

-41.25%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$6.35 CHF 5.19

-50.71%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$5.07 CHF 4.14

-65.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$4.04 CHF 3.30

-64.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$9.34 CHF 7.63

-66.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$7.91 CHF 6.46

-27.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$2.26 CHF 1.85

-32.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$3.06 CHF 2.50

-25.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$3.32 CHF 2.71

-41.57%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$7.55 CHF 6.17

-59.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$24.49 CHF 19.99

-59.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$27.77 CHF 22.67

-62.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$40.09 CHF 32.73

-65.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$3.63 CHF 2.97

11.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$2.00 CHF 1.63

-23.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$2.52 CHF 2.06

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$4.74 CHF 3.87

-51.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$1.66 CHF 1.35

27.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$1.97 CHF 1.61

-13.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$2.08 CHF 1.70

-43.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$1.37 CHF 1.12

15.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$11.04 CHF 9.01

-64.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$12.38 CHF 10.10

13.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$2.23 CHF 1.82

-21.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$3.05 CHF 2.49

-11.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$3.99 CHF 3.26

-70.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$107 CHF 87.7

-28.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$7.99 CHF 6.52

-77.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$4.69 CHF 3.83

-54.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$85.7 CHF 70.0

-90.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$2.34 CHF 1.91

-45.30%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$39.0K CHF 31.9K

-11.80%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-14.53%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$280 CHF 229

-36.55%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$28.64 CHF 23.38

-51.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$53.4 CHF 43.61

-42.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$76.2 CHF 62.2

-44.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$47.19 CHF 38.52

-64.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$24.30 CHF 19.84

-69.26%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$2,957 CHF 2,414

-73.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$35.6K CHF 29.1K

-65.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$143 CHF 117

-39.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$61.4 CHF 50.1

-3.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$141 CHF 115

-2.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$195 CHF 159

-49.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,735 CHF 1,416

-22.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$1,655 CHF 1,351

-59.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$2,868 CHF 2,342

-31.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$2,682 CHF 2,189

-61.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$16.6K CHF 13.6K

-75.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$11.5K CHF 9,368

-83.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

1.95

461.03%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Yens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Yens

$1.7K 46.4% 148% $987

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Yens

$569 16% 85.1% $262

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Yens

$362 10.2% 62.9% $140

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Yens

$459 12.9% 166% $287

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Yens

$243 6.8% 41.3% $71

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Yens

$155 4.3% 65.7% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Yens

$125 3.5% 119% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,735 in Yens. 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 $116 in Yens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $569 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Yens

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

10:33 10:33 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,200

💱 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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Medellin Yens 8,890 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Yens

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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yens is pricier by about 111%, 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 $5,352 in Yens. 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 $1,735 in Yens.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $116 in Yens. 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 $3,568 in Yens. That makes Medellin about 53% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Yens at $3,568. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yens 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 53% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.