Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Olten and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $3,049 in Olten, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Olten
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Olten Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Olten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,049

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Olten 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 Olten and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,049 per month in Olten vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Olten $3,049
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $4,812 per month in Olten vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Olten $4,812
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $6,576 per month in Olten vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Olten $6,576
Medellin $3,199

Olten costs about 88% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Olten and Medellin sit above the global median – Olten by 125%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.18 CHF 27.33

$8.30 COP 26.3K

299.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 100

$46.91 COP 148.7K

159.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.69 CHF 14.57

$9.24 COP 29.3K

91.45%

Cappuccino

$6.29 CHF 5.18

$3.05 COP 9,676

106.23%

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

$5.51 CHF 4.54

$1.80 COP 5,707

206.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CHF 4.29

$1.38 COP 4,382

277.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.22 CHF 7.59

$3.24 COP 10.3K

184.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 CHF 6.19

$5.56 COP 17.6K

35.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CHF 1.73

$1.50 COP 4,760

40.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.19

$2.37 COP 7,508

63.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.14

$1.70 COP 5,377

124.12%

Eggs

$8.37 CHF 6.90

$2.96 COP 9,379

182.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.10 CHF 21.50

$10.22 COP 32.4K

155.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.77 CHF 22.05

$9.74 COP 30.9K

174.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$46.34 CHF 38.16

$13.90 COP 44.1K

233.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.31

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-2.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 CHF 2.22

$1.53 COP 4,839

75.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 CHF 2.45

$2.22 COP 7,052

33.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 CHF 3.86

$2.27 COP 7,194

106.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.05

$1.99 COP 6,311

25.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.76

$1.67 COP 5,285

28.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CHF 2.10

$1.18 COP 3,742

116.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.06

$1.24 COP 3,919

4.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 CHF 8.93

$3.87 COP 12.3K

180.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.12 CHF 11.63

$13.78 COP 43.7K

2.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 CHF 2.30

$1.66 COP 5,256

68.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 CHF 2.68

$2.40 COP 7,615

35.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.30 CHF 4.37

$1.24 COP 3,944

327.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 88.3

$78.2 COP 248.0K

37.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 CHF 6.91

$1.28 COP 4,044

555.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.53 CHF 3.73

$2.15 COP 6,803

110.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$90.2 CHF 74.3

$8.37 COP 26.5K

977.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$1.35 COP 4,288

60.00%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

13.76%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

13.31%

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

$275 CHF 227

$167 COP 528.4K

65.23%

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

$32.97 CHF 27.15

$13.62 COP 43.2K

142.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.51 CHF 39.13

$29.12 COP 92.3K

63.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.2 CHF 66.1

$45.09 COP 143.0K

77.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$21.01 CHF 17.30

$6.97 COP 22.1K

201.43%

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

$3,608 CHF 2,971

$790 COP 2.5M

356.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

361.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 118

$87.8 COP 278.4K

62.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 CHF 48.81

$58.2 COP 184.4K

1.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 CHF 137

$139 COP 440.7K

19.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$210 CHF 173

$98.9 COP 313.5K

112.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 CHF 997

$1,028 COP 3.3M

17.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 CHF 852

$620 COP 2.0M

67.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 CHF 1,621

$1,881 COP 6.0M

4.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,948 CHF 1,605

$1,008 COP 3.2M

93.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,837 CHF 4,808

$663 COP 2.1M

780.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

10.94

-81.08%

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

Last update for Olten: October 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Olten

$1K 34%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 40.1% $415

Groceries & Markets

Olten

$617 20.3%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 51.7% $319

Eating Out

Olten

$498 16.3%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 65.7% $327

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Olten

$356 11.7%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 41.2% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Olten

$261 8.6%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 33.7% $88

Getting Around

Olten

$160 5.2%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 40.3% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Olten

$122 4%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 51.7% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,210 in Olten versus $1,028 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 780% higher in Olten, 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 $122 in Olten versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $617 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Olten

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:49 12:49 PM

05:49 5:49 AM

7 h behind Olten

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,280

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 20, 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 20, 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

Olten Medellin 9,010 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Olten
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

Olten vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Olten is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,573 per month in Olten and $2,437 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 $122 in Olten and $47.00 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 $3,049 in Olten and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 88%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Olten at $3,049. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Olten 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, Olten makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.