Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,604 per month in St. Gallen vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,448 per month in St. Gallen vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,293 per month in St. Gallen vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

St. Gallen costs about 249% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

St. Gallen sits 169% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.27 CHF 23.95

$5.92 COP 21.4K

411.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 CHF 119

$32.75 COP 118.2K

358.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.21 CHF 14.40

$7.20 COP 26.0K

152.92%

Cappuccino

$6.46 CHF 5.11

$1.70 COP 6,140

280.00%

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

$5.67 CHF 4.49

$1.10 COP 3,966

415.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 CHF 4.05

$0.72 COP 2,605

611.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.40 CHF 5.85

$1.67 COP 6,022

343.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 CHF 5.63

$3.10 COP 11.2K

129.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.80

$1.06 COP 3,809

115.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 CHF 2.05

$1.25 COP 4,497

107.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 CHF 2.87

$1.39 COP 5,022

161.15%

Eggs

$8.02 CHF 6.35

$2.26 COP 8,168

254.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.88 CHF 22.05

$4.33 COP 15.6K

543.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$31.80 CHF 25.16

$5.84 COP 21.1K

444.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.82 CHF 33.08

$8.83 COP 31.9K

373.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 CHF 2.61

$2.24 COP 8,099

47.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 CHF 1.50

$1.08 COP 3,882

75.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.00

$1.53 COP 5,522

65.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.34 CHF 5.81

$1.37 COP 4,950

435.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 1.99

$1.13 COP 4,078

123.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 CHF 1.84

$1.12 COP 4,036

108.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$0.85 COP 3,057

176.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 CHF 0.89

$0.91 COP 3,281

24.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 CHF 8.68

$2.33 COP 8,414

371.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 CHF 9.14

$11.13 COP 40.2K

3.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$1.19 COP 4,309

80.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 CHF 1.90

$2.37 COP 8,553

1.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.33 CHF 3.43

$0.79 COP 2,838

448.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.0 CHF 63.3

$41.13 COP 148.5K

94.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 CHF 5.26

$1.44 COP 5,184

361.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.24 CHF 3.36

$1.91 COP 6,901

121.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.1 CHF 63.3

$8.02 COP 28.9K

898.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.69

$0.94 COP 3,385

126.60%

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

$41.0K CHF 32.4K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

128.61%

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

$42.2K CHF 33.4K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

57.56%

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

$335 CHF 265

$84.0 COP 303.1K

298.88%

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

$58.4 CHF 46.15

$9.60 COP 34.7K

507.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 CHF 41.81

$24.16 COP 87.2K

118.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.0 CHF 65.6

$25.88 COP 93.4K

220.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$98.7 CHF 78.1

$19.04 COP 68.7K

418.59%

Cinema Ticket

$30.64 CHF 24.23

$3.92 COP 14.1K

681.63%

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

$2,846 CHF 2,251

$306 COP 1.1M

829.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 27.2K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

480.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$146 CHF 115

$57.9 COP 209.1K

151.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.2 CHF 52.3

$31.82 COP 114.9K

107.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$157 CHF 124

$99.9 COP 360.6K

56.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$237 CHF 188

$107 COP 386.8K

121.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CHF 1,451

$487 COP 1.8M

276.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 CHF 1,204

$368 COP 1.3M

313.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 CHF 2,218

$826 COP 3.0M

239.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,360 CHF 1,867

$716 COP 2.6M

229.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K CHF 8,640

$2,925 COP 10.6M

273.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,560 CHF 6,771

$1,407 COP 5.1M

508.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,299 CHF 5,773

$546 COP 2.0M

1237.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

13.43

-81.38%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: April 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,834 in St. Gallen versus $487 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 1238% higher in St. Gallen, 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 $150 in St. Gallen versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $612 vs $190 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

St. Gallen vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St. Gallen is pricier by about 249%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,406 per month in St. Gallen and $1,550 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 $150 in St. Gallen and $33.00 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 $3,604 in St. Gallen and $1,034 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in St. Gallen at $3,604. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. Gallen 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, St. Gallen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.