Cost of Living Comparison Between Staefa and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Staefa and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,479 per month in Staefa vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,384 per month in Staefa vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,289 per month in Staefa vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Staefa costs about 237% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Staefa sits 160% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.73 CHF 24.28

$5.92 COP 21.5K

419.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 117

$32.75 COP 119.1K

353.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.08 CHF 14.28

$7.20 COP 26.2K

151.11%

Cappuccino

$6.24 CHF 4.93

$1.70 COP 6,186

267.06%

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

$5.69 CHF 4.50

$1.10 COP 3,996

417.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 CHF 4.17

$0.72 COP 2,625

633.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.63 CHF 6.02

$1.67 COP 6,067

356.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CHF 5.44

$3.10 COP 11.3K

122.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$1.06 COP 3,837

102.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 CHF 2.20

$1.25 COP 4,531

123.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 CHF 2.77

$1.39 COP 5,060

152.52%

Eggs

$8.19 CHF 6.47

$2.26 COP 8,229

262.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.35 CHF 21.61

$4.33 COP 15.8K

531.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.28 CHF 25.50

$5.84 COP 21.2K

452.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$49.14 CHF 38.82

$8.83 COP 32.1K

456.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 CHF 2.51

$2.24 COP 8,159

41.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 CHF 2.29

$1.08 COP 3,911

168.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 CHF 2.40

$1.53 COP 5,563

98.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 CHF 4.13

$1.37 COP 4,987

281.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 CHF 2.24

$1.13 COP 4,109

151.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 CHF 1.86

$1.12 COP 4,067

110.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CHF 2.04

$0.85 COP 3,080

203.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CHF 0.95

$0.91 COP 3,305

32.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.23 CHF 8.87

$2.33 COP 8,477

381.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 CHF 11.91

$11.13 COP 40.5K

35.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 CHF 2.09

$1.19 COP 4,342

121.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.84

$2.37 COP 8,617

-1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.82 CHF 3.02

$0.79 COP 2,859

383.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 CHF 76.4

$41.13 COP 149.6K

135.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 CHF 5.43

$1.44 COP 5,223

377.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 CHF 3.24

$1.91 COP 6,952

115.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.52 CHF 33.59

$8.02 COP 29.2K

430.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.75

$0.94 COP 3,410

136.17%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.1K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

126.68%

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

$39.8K CHF 31.4K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

48.44%

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

$252 CHF 199

$84.0 COP 305.4K

200.31%

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

$36.07 CHF 28.49

$9.60 COP 34.9K

275.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 CHF 41.84

$24.16 COP 87.9K

119.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.1 CHF 70.4

$25.88 COP 94.1K

244.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

Cinema Ticket

$25.03 CHF 19.77

$3.92 COP 14.2K

538.52%

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

$2,854 CHF 2,255

$306 COP 1.1M

831.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

569.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 109

$57.9 COP 210.6K

139.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 CHF 48.65

$31.82 COP 115.7K

93.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 115

$99.9 COP 363.3K

45.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$200 CHF 158

$107 COP 389.7K

86.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,720 CHF 1,359

$487 COP 1.8M

253.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 CHF 1,182

$368 COP 1.3M

306.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,807 CHF 2,217

$826 COP 3.0M

239.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,450 CHF 1,935

$716 COP 2.6M

242.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.0K CHF 10.2K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

343.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.5K CHF 8,328

$1,407 COP 5.1M

649.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

13.43

-84.44%

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

Last update for Staefa: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,720 in Staefa 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $149 in Staefa versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $645 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

Staefa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Staefa is pricier by about 237%, 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 $5,218 per month in Staefa 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 $149 in Staefa 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 $3,479 in Staefa 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 Staefa at $3,479. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Staefa 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, Staefa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.