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 $3,566 per month in St. Gallen vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,365 per month in St. Gallen vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,165 per month in St. Gallen vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

St. Gallen costs about 256% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

St. Gallen sits 168% above the global median, while Medellin is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.77 CHF 25.03

$5.91 COP 18.9K

420.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 118

$32.96 COP 105.2K

340.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.51 CHF 15.05

$7.43 COP 23.7K

149.13%

Cappuccino

$6.31 CHF 5.13

$1.65 COP 5,276

282.42%

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

$5.72 CHF 4.65

$1.10 COP 3,514

420.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 CHF 4.30

$0.78 COP 2,491

578.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 CHF 6.25

$1.72 COP 5,484

346.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 CHF 5.83

$3.18 COP 10.1K

125.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.86

$1.10 COP 3,521

108.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CHF 2.16

$1.26 COP 4,015

110.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 CHF 2.88

$1.38 COP 4,407

156.52%

Eggs

$7.92 CHF 6.44

$2.18 COP 6,950

263.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.07 CHF 22.83

$4.49 COP 14.3K

525.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.38 CHF 26.34

$5.79 COP 18.5K

459.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.83 CHF 34.02

$8.97 COP 28.6K

366.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 CHF 2.58

$2.32 COP 7,405

37.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 CHF 1.50

$1.06 COP 3,397

73.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 CHF 2.09

$1.52 COP 4,838

69.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.11 CHF 5.78

$1.36 COP 4,327

422.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 CHF 2.10

$1.13 COP 3,599

129.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

$1.17 COP 3,738

99.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 CHF 1.96

$0.90 COP 2,876

167.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CHF 0.93

$0.90 COP 2,861

27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.77 CHF 8.76

$2.23 COP 7,128

382.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 CHF 9.32

$12.12 COP 38.7K

-5.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CHF 1.79

$1.19 COP 3,793

84.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 CHF 1.86

$2.48 COP 7,920

-7.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.29 CHF 3.49

$0.85 COP 2,723

404.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.6 CHF 64.8

$41.62 COP 132.8K

91.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.68 CHF 5.43

$1.42 COP 4,518

370.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.27 CHF 3.48

$1.95 COP 6,223

118.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.6 CHF 64.0

$7.89 COP 25.2K

896.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.79

$0.99 COP 3,160

121.21%

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

$40.9K CHF 33.3K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

132.64%

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

$40.7K CHF 33.1K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

52.01%

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

$330 CHF 268

$83.0 COP 264.9K

297.27%

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

$59.2 CHF 48.19

$9.70 COP 30.9K

510.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 CHF 43.26

$23.52 COP 75.0K

126.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.2 CHF 65.3

$25.26 COP 80.6K

217.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$98.6 CHF 80.2

$19.10 COP 60.9K

416.13%

Cinema Ticket

$30.77 CHF 25.03

$3.95 COP 12.6K

678.99%

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

$2,877 CHF 2,340

$316 COP 1.0M

811.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.7K CHF 28.2K

$5,975 COP 19.1M

480.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 CHF 121

$60.0 COP 191.4K

147.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.0 CHF 54.5

$31.82 COP 101.5K

110.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 CHF 126

$102 COP 324.4K

52.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$236 CHF 192

$107 COP 342.8K

120.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,831 CHF 1,490

$475 COP 1.5M

285.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,539 CHF 1,252

$374 COP 1.2M

311.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,720 CHF 2,213

$849 COP 2.7M

220.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,341 CHF 1,904

$719 COP 2.3M

225.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K CHF 9,997

$3,265 COP 10.4M

276.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,211 CHF 7,492

$1,441 COP 4.6M

539.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,725 CHF 5,470

$624 COP 2.0M

976.93%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,831 in St. Gallen versus $475 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 977% 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 $145 in St. Gallen versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $614 vs $193 – 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 256%, 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 $5,348 per month in St. Gallen and $1,504 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 $145 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 $3,566 in St. Gallen and $1,003 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 $1,003, than in St. Gallen at $3,566. 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.