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 $3,579 per month in St. Gallen vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,462 per month in St. Gallen vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,344 per month in St. Gallen vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

St. Gallen costs about 252% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

St. Gallen sits 166% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.92 CHF 24.54

$5.95 COP 20.8K

419.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 CHF 119

$33.33 COP 116.3K

349.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.63 CHF 14.79

$7.23 COP 25.2K

157.68%

Cappuccino

$6.42 CHF 5.10

$1.63 COP 5,687

293.87%

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

$5.69 CHF 4.52

$1.09 COP 3,821

422.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.15

$0.73 COP 2,548

616.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.62 CHF 6.05

$1.74 COP 6,065

337.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 CHF 5.78

$3.23 COP 11.3K

125.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.80

$1.05 COP 3,662

116.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CHF 2.15

$1.29 COP 4,515

109.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 CHF 2.93

$1.32 COP 4,617

179.55%

Eggs

$8.20 CHF 6.51

$2.27 COP 7,927

261.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.20 CHF 21.59

$4.35 COP 15.2K

525.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.58 CHF 25.87

$5.88 COP 20.5K

454.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.65 CHF 33.06

$8.61 COP 30.0K

383.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.57

$2.25 COP 7,844

44.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 CHF 1.46

$1.07 COP 3,733

71.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 CHF 1.97

$1.52 COP 5,322

63.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 CHF 5.52

$1.42 COP 4,964

389.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.00

$1.17 COP 4,084

115.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.89

$1.17 COP 4,077

103.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CHF 1.86

$0.89 COP 3,096

162.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.88

$0.90 COP 3,146

23.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.65 CHF 8.45

$2.25 COP 7,837

373.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.65 CHF 9.25

$11.04 COP 38.5K

5.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 CHF 1.72

$1.14 COP 3,977

90.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CHF 1.83

$2.38 COP 8,301

-3.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.21 CHF 3.34

$0.84 COP 2,916

401.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.2 CHF 65.3

$41.95 COP 146.4K

95.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.60 CHF 5.24

$1.41 COP 4,912

368.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.24 CHF 3.37

$1.90 COP 6,634

123.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.1 CHF 64.4

$7.75 COP 27.0K

945.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.77

$1.01 COP 3,509

119.80%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.2K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

130.66%

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

$41.7K CHF 33.1K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

57.27%

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

$327 CHF 259

$83.7 COP 292.1K

290.43%

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

$59.6 CHF 47.31

$9.45 COP 33.0K

530.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 CHF 41.59

$24.11 COP 84.1K

117.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.2 CHF 65.3

$25.31 COP 88.3K

224.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$98.0 CHF 77.8

$19.14 COP 66.8K

411.81%

Cinema Ticket

$31.19 CHF 24.76

$4.10 COP 14.3K

660.73%

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

$2,805 CHF 2,227

$312 COP 1.1M

799.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.3K CHF 27.2K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

472.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 117

$58.0 COP 202.6K

153.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 CHF 52.1

$32.56 COP 113.6K

101.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 CHF 123

$99.6 COP 347.7K

55.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 183

$109 COP 378.8K

111.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,811 CHF 1,438

$482 COP 1.7M

275.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,531 CHF 1,216

$379 COP 1.3M

303.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,773 CHF 2,202

$837 COP 2.9M

231.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 CHF 1,875

$723 COP 2.5M

226.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.6K CHF 10.0K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

343.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.1K CHF 8,034

$1,223 COP 4.3M

727.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,151 CHF 5,677

$541 COP 1.9M

1222.09%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,811 in St. Gallen versus $482 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 1222% 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 252%, 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 $5,369 per month in St. Gallen and $1,525 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 $3,579 in St. Gallen and $1,017 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 $1,017, than in St. Gallen at $3,579. 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.