Cost of Living Comparison Between Yens and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Yens and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,511 per month in Yens vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,311 per month in Yens vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,111 per month in Yens vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Yens costs about 247% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Yens sits 162% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.64 CHF 24.16

$5.99 COP 21.4K

411.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 114

$32.86 COP 117.4K

341.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.91 CHF 14.91

$7.09 COP 25.3K

166.71%

Cappuccino

$6.15 CHF 4.85

$1.71 COP 6,115

259.65%

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

$5.34 CHF 4.21

$1.10 COP 3,924

385.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 CHF 3.84

$0.78 COP 2,781

524.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.92 CHF 7.82

$1.68 COP 5,997

490.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 CHF 5.86

$3.07 COP 11.0K

142.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.71

$1.09 COP 3,906

99.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 CHF 3.03

$1.26 COP 4,508

204.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 CHF 3.56

$1.38 COP 4,922

227.54%

Eggs

$7.10 CHF 5.60

$2.19 COP 7,827

224.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.46 CHF 20.86

$4.40 COP 15.7K

501.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.53 CHF 22.50

$5.63 COP 20.1K

406.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.82 CHF 34.55

$8.89 COP 31.8K

392.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 CHF 2.87

$2.34 COP 8,349

55.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 CHF 1.66

$1.06 COP 3,777

99.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 CHF 2.22

$1.50 COP 5,374

87.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 CHF 5.18

$1.38 COP 4,924

376.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.92

$1.15 COP 4,111

112.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 CHF 1.83

$1.16 COP 4,155

100.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.96

$0.89 COP 3,182

179.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CHF 1.15

$0.84 COP 2,997

73.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.62

$2.28 COP 8,145

379.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.76 CHF 10.85

$10.64 COP 38.0K

29.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 CHF 1.59

$1.20 COP 4,284

68.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.46

$2.47 COP 8,824

26.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 CHF 3.11

$0.86 COP 3,056

359.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.7 CHF 77.8

$41.40 COP 147.9K

138.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 CHF 6.38

$1.47 COP 5,264

451.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.37 CHF 2.65

$1.96 COP 7,009

71.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.2 CHF 52.2

$7.74 COP 27.6K

755.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$0.95 COP 3,409

130.53%

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

$40.0K CHF 31.6K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

120.79%

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

$41.6K CHF 32.8K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

57.12%

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

$304 CHF 240

$82.3 COP 293.7K

269.42%

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

$51.1 CHF 40.31

$9.50 COP 33.9K

438.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CHF 45.49

$24.23 COP 86.5K

138.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 70.7

$25.89 COP 92.4K

246.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$23.13 CHF 18.23

$3.93 COP 14.0K

488.55%

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

$2,554 CHF 2,014

$309 COP 1.1M

725.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.7K CHF 26.6K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

465.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 84.7

$58.7 COP 209.5K

83.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.9 CHF 55.9

$32.35 COP 115.5K

119.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 119

$103 COP 366.4K

47.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 145

$108 COP 387.2K

69.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,711 CHF 1,349

$476 COP 1.7M

259.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 CHF 1,144

$379 COP 1.4M

282.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,872 CHF 2,264

$838 COP 3.0M

242.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,427 CHF 1,913

$724 COP 2.6M

235.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.4K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

461.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.6K CHF 8,331

$1,211 COP 4.3M

772.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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 Yens: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,711 in Yens versus $476 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 $145 in Yens versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $618 vs $188 – 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

Yens vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yens is pricier by about 247%, 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 $5,266 per month in Yens and $1,519 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 Yens 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 $3,511 in Yens and $1,013 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 $1,013, than in Yens at $3,511. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yens 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, Yens makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.