Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Neuchatel and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,172 in Neuchatel, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Neuchatel
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Neuchatel Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Neuchatel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,172

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Neuchatel and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Neuchatel and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,172 per month in Neuchatel vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Neuchatel $3,172
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $4,877 per month in Neuchatel vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Neuchatel $4,877
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $6,583 per month in Neuchatel vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Neuchatel $6,583
Medellin $3,190

Neuchatel costs about 97% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Neuchatel and Medellin sit above the global median – Neuchatel by 135%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.68 CHF 21.98

$7.93 COP 25.2K

236.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 CHF 95.6

$46.13 COP 146.3K

151.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.96 CHF 14.79

$9.50 COP 30.1K

89.05%

Cappuccino

$5.90 CHF 4.86

$3.11 COP 9,866

89.71%

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

$3.98 CHF 3.28

$1.83 COP 5,800

117.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 CHF 2.76

$1.38 COP 4,360

142.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.38 CHF 7.73

$3.05 COP 9,672

207.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CHF 5.93

$5.50 COP 17.4K

30.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CHF 1.70

$1.45 COP 4,600

42.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 CHF 2.54

$2.36 COP 7,496

30.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CHF 2.63

$1.68 COP 5,328

89.88%

Eggs

$6.84 CHF 5.63

$2.86 COP 9,077

139.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.39 CHF 20.91

$10.19 COP 32.3K

149.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.24 CHF 22.43

$9.53 COP 30.2K

185.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.83 CHF 32.80

$14.04 COP 44.5K

183.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.61

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-22.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.77

$1.50 COP 4,742

43.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.39

$2.17 COP 6,891

34.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CHF 3.78

$2.31 COP 7,310

98.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$1.93 COP 6,113

-13.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$1.64 COP 5,196

19.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$1.13 COP 3,571

96.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CHF 1.00

$1.25 COP 3,954

-3.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 CHF 8.99

$3.99 COP 12.6K

173.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 CHF 9.90

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-10.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 CHF 2.10

$1.70 COP 5,384

49.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$2.37 COP 7,525

6.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 CHF 2.42

$1.21 COP 3,827

142.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.8 CHF 75.6

$76.5 COP 242.5K

19.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.51

$1.32 COP 4,179

499.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.26 CHF 3.51

$2.14 COP 6,774

99.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$76.4 CHF 62.9

$8.47 COP 26.8K

801.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 CHF 1.92

$1.30 COP 4,114

79.23%

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

$38.9K CHF 32.0K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

38.98%

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

$38.4K CHF 31.6K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

8.48%

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

$240 CHF 198

$172 COP 545.6K

39.54%

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

$45.61 CHF 37.56

$13.37 COP 42.4K

241.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.94 CHF 34.54

$28.73 COP 91.1K

45.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 CHF 80.5

$45.24 COP 143.5K

116.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.55 CHF 34.22

$17.04 COP 54.0K

143.84%

Cinema Ticket

$21.62 CHF 17.80

$6.28 COP 19.9K

244.27%

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

$2,467 CHF 2,032

$770 COP 2.4M

220.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K CHF 21.6K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

191.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 CHF 103

$86.4 COP 274.0K

44.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 CHF 41.35

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-12.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 121

$137 COP 432.9K

7.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 CHF 119

$97.9 COP 310.4K

47.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 CHF 1,368

$1,055 COP 3.3M

57.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 CHF 1,130

$616 COP 2.0M

122.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,627 CHF 2,164

$1,892 COP 6.0M

38.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,373 CHF 1,954

$1,023 COP 3.2M

131.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.7K CHF 17.0K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

409.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.5K CHF 11.1K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

706.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,930 CHF 5,707

$652 COP 2.1M

962.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.87

10.94

-82.91%

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

Last update for Neuchatel: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Neuchatel

$1.4K 43.2%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 55.1% $756

Groceries & Markets

Neuchatel

$561 17.7%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 47.5% $266

Eating Out

Neuchatel

$429 13.5%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 60.7% $260

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Neuchatel

$328 10.3%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 34.6% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Neuchatel

$210 6.6%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 18.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Neuchatel

$141 4.4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 59% $83

Getting Around

Neuchatel

$133 4.2%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 29.7% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,662 in Neuchatel versus $1,055 in Medellin. 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 962% higher in Neuchatel, 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 $116 in Neuchatel versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $561 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Neuchatel

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

22:25 10:25 PM

7 h behind Neuchatel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,641

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

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).

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).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Neuchatel Medellin 8,930 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Neuchatel
Medellin

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

Neuchatel vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Neuchatel is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,758 per month in Neuchatel and $2,421 in Medellin. 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 $116 in Neuchatel and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,172 in Neuchatel and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 97%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Neuchatel at $3,172. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Neuchatel 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, Neuchatel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.