Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zermatt

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,441 in Zermatt, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 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 Zermatt
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Zermatt Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Zermatt

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,441

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zermatt

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $3,441 in Zermatt, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Zermatt $3,441

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $5,226 in Zermatt, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Zermatt $5,226

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $7,010 in Zermatt, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Zermatt $7,010

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

Both Medellin and Zermatt sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Zermatt by 153%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$29.72 CHF 24.66

-72.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$121 CHF 101

-61.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$18.42 CHF 15.28

-48.43%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$5.91 CHF 4.90

-49.07%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$5.40 CHF 4.48

-66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$4.87 CHF 4.04

-71.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$8.92 CHF 7.40

-64.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$7.36 CHF 6.11

-21.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$2.21 CHF 1.84

-31.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$3.58 CHF 2.97

-33.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$3.71 CHF 3.08

-52.29%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$7.90 CHF 6.56

-63.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$26.11 CHF 21.66

-60.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$27.74 CHF 23.01

-64.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$40.83 CHF 33.87

-65.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.58 CHF 2.97

10.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$2.06 CHF 1.71

-24.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.77 CHF 2.30

-21.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$4.64 CHF 3.85

-53.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.79 CHF 1.49

9.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.08 CHF 1.72

-23.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$2.24 CHF 1.86

-48.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.25 CHF 1.04

-0.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$10.83 CHF 8.99

-63.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$12.94 CHF 10.74

5.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$2.71 CHF 2.25

-38.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$3.21 CHF 2.67

-29.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$4.25 CHF 3.53

-72.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$101 CHF 83.5

-23.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$7.76 CHF 6.43

-83.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$4.63 CHF 3.84

-55.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$74.8 CHF 62.1

-88.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$2.28 CHF 1.89

-40.79%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$39.3K CHF 32.6K

-13.28%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$39.7K CHF 32.9K

-12.70%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$281 CHF 233

-39.53%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$32.46 CHF 26.93

-58.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$56.9 CHF 47.17

-50.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$87.8 CHF 72.9

-50.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$46.76 CHF 38.79

-63.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$23.47 CHF 19.47

-70.56%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$2,954 CHF 2,451

-73.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$32.4K CHF 26.9K

-71.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$139 CHF 115

-39.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$57.8 CHF 47.95

0.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$162 CHF 135

-16.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$189 CHF 157

-48.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$2,219 CHF 1,841

-45.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$1,489 CHF 1,236

-56.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$2,968 CHF 2,462

-31.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$2,501 CHF 2,074

-59.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$16.6K CHF 13.8K

-74.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$12.5K CHF 10.4K

-84.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$9,590 CHF 7,956

-93.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.07

428.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zermatt: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Zermatt

$1.5K 43.3% 132% $848

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Zermatt

$588 17.1% 97.9% $291

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Zermatt

$370 10.8% 75.1% $159

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Zermatt

$464 13.5% 174% $295

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Zermatt

$247 7.2% 46% $78

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Zermatt

$148 4.3% 58.7% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Zermatt

$135 3.9% 134% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $2,219 in Zermatt. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Zermatt are about 15 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 Zermatt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $588 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Zermatt

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

19:42 7:42 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

5,800

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.924 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Zermatt 8,990 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Zermatt

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 Zermatt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $5,162 in Zermatt. 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 $2,219 in Zermatt.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $121 in Zermatt. 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 $3,441 in Zermatt. That’s a gap of about 110%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Zermatt at $3,441. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zermatt 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, Zermatt makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.