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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,423 per month in Staefa vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,287 per month in Staefa vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,152 per month in Staefa vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

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

Staefa sits 155% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.40 CHF 24.14

$5.95 COP 20.8K

410.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 118

$33.33 COP 116.3K

344.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.33 CHF 14.56

$7.23 COP 25.2K

153.53%

Cappuccino

$6.32 CHF 5.01

$1.63 COP 5,687

287.73%

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

$5.75 CHF 4.57

$1.09 COP 3,821

427.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 CHF 4.19

$0.73 COP 2,548

621.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 CHF 6.10

$1.74 COP 6,065

341.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 CHF 5.72

$3.23 COP 11.3K

123.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.78

$1.05 COP 3,662

114.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CHF 2.19

$1.29 COP 4,515

113.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 CHF 2.89

$1.32 COP 4,617

175.00%

Eggs

$7.86 CHF 6.24

$2.27 COP 7,927

246.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.86 CHF 22.12

$4.35 COP 15.2K

540.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.36 CHF 25.69

$5.88 COP 20.5K

450.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.7 CHF 40.22

$8.61 COP 30.0K

488.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CHF 2.51

$2.25 COP 7,844

40.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 CHF 2.21

$1.07 COP 3,733

159.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 CHF 2.41

$1.52 COP 5,322

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 CHF 4.17

$1.42 COP 4,964

270.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.25

$1.17 COP 4,084

141.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.89

$1.17 COP 4,077

103.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CHF 1.98

$0.89 COP 3,096

180.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CHF 0.96

$0.90 COP 3,146

34.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.19 CHF 8.89

$2.25 COP 7,837

397.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 CHF 11.81

$11.04 COP 38.5K

34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 CHF 2.19

$1.14 COP 3,977

142.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.90

$2.38 COP 8,301

0.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.96 CHF 3.15

$0.84 COP 2,916

371.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.1 CHF 77.9

$41.95 COP 146.4K

133.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.91 CHF 5.48

$1.41 COP 4,912

390.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.16 CHF 3.30

$1.90 COP 6,634

118.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.78 CHF 34.76

$7.75 COP 27.0K

464.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.78

$1.01 COP 3,509

121.78%

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

$41.2K CHF 32.7K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

134.43%

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

$39.8K CHF 31.6K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

50.32%

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

$260 CHF 206

$83.7 COP 292.1K

210.56%

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

$36.00 CHF 28.58

$9.45 COP 33.0K

280.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 CHF 41.58

$24.11 COP 84.1K

117.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.2 CHF 70.0

$25.31 COP 88.3K

248.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$24.37 CHF 19.35

$4.10 COP 14.3K

494.39%

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

$2,875 CHF 2,283

$312 COP 1.1M

821.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.6K CHF 31.4K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

560.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 110

$58.0 COP 202.6K

139.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 CHF 48.90

$32.56 COP 113.6K

89.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 118

$99.6 COP 347.7K

49.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 158

$109 COP 378.8K

83.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 CHF 1,323

$482 COP 1.7M

245.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,487 CHF 1,180

$379 COP 1.3M

291.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,853 CHF 2,265

$837 COP 2.9M

240.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,471 CHF 1,962

$723 COP 2.5M

241.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.9K CHF 11.8K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

423.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.7K CHF 10.1K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

941.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,667 in Staefa 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $148 in Staefa versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $650 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 $5,134 per month in Staefa 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 $148 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 $3,423 in Staefa 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 Staefa at $3,423. 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.