Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yens and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $3,568 in Yens, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Yens, Switzerland
Medellin, Colombia
Yens
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,568
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yens and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Yens and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,568 per month in Yens vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Yens $3,568
  • Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $5,328 per month in Yens vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Yens $5,328
  • Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $7,088 per month in Yens vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Yens $7,088
  • Medellin $3,249

Yens costs about 111% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Yens and Medellin sit above the global median – Yens by 164%, Medellin by 25%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Yens
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.48 CHF 24.08
$8.34 COP 27.0K
253.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$116 CHF 94.5
$46.53 COP 150.9K
148.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.12 CHF 13.17
$9.47 COP 30.7K
70.22%
Cappuccino
$6.35 CHF 5.19
$3.13 COP 10.2K
102.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 CHF 4.14
$1.77 COP 5,727
186.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.04 CHF 3.30
$1.42 COP 4,619
184.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.34 CHF 7.63
$3.15 COP 10.2K
196.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.91 CHF 6.46
$5.70 COP 18.5K
38.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Yens
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 CHF 1.85
$1.53 COP 4,969
47.71%
White Bread (500g)
$3.06 CHF 2.50
$2.29 COP 7,429
33.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.32 CHF 2.71
$1.94 COP 6,306
71.13%
Eggs
$7.55 CHF 6.17
$3.07 COP 9,942
145.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.49 CHF 20.01
$9.99 COP 32.4K
145.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$27.77 CHF 22.69
$10.45 COP 33.9K
165.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$40.09 CHF 32.76
$13.96 COP 45.3K
187.18%
Apples (1kg)
$3.63 CHF 2.97
$4.05 COP 13.1K
-10.37%
Banana (1kg)
$2.00 CHF 1.63
$1.53 COP 4,956
30.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.52 CHF 2.06
$2.10 COP 6,823
20.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.74 CHF 3.87
$2.29 COP 7,437
106.99%
Potato (1kg)
$1.66 CHF 1.35
$2.11 COP 6,839
-21.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 CHF 1.61
$1.71 COP 5,542
15.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.08 CHF 1.70
$1.17 COP 3,794
77.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 CHF 1.12
$1.58 COP 5,123
-13.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.04 CHF 9.02
$3.91 COP 12.7K
182.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.38 CHF 10.11
$14.04 COP 45.5K
-11.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.23 CHF 1.82
$1.76 COP 5,712
26.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 CHF 2.49
$2.71 COP 8,793
12.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Yens
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.99 CHF 3.26
$1.18 COP 3,825
238.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 CHF 87.8
$76.3 COP 247.4K
40.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.99 CHF 6.53
$1.81 COP 5,859
341.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.69 CHF 3.83
$2.13 COP 6,904
120.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$85.7 CHF 70.1
$8.13 COP 26.4K
954.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.34 CHF 1.91
$1.28 COP 4,135
82.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.0K CHF 31.9K
$34.4K COP 111.7M
13.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.9K CHF 32.6K
$34.1K COP 110.7M
17.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yens
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$280 CHF 229
$178 COP 576.3K
57.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.64 CHF 23.40
$13.89 COP 45.0K
106.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.4 CHF 43.64
$30.74 COP 99.7K
73.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Yens
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.2 CHF 62.2
$41.94 COP 136.0K
81.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$47.19 CHF 38.55
$16.80 COP 54.5K
180.89%
Cinema Ticket
$24.30 CHF 19.85
$7.47 COP 24.2K
225.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Yens
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,957 CHF 2,416
$790 COP 2.6M
274.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.6K CHF 29.1K
$12.3K COP 39.9M
189.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Yens
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$143 CHF 117
$86.3 COP 279.9K
65.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.4 CHF 50.2
$59.3 COP 192.2K
3.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$141 CHF 115
$138 COP 448.6K
2.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$195 CHF 159
$98.8 COP 320.4K
97.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Yens
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,735 CHF 1,417
$1,341 COP 4.3M
29.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,655 CHF 1,352
$667 COP 2.2M
148.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,868 CHF 2,343
$1,976 COP 6.4M
45.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,682 CHF 2,191
$1,033 COP 3.3M
159.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$16.6K CHF 13.6K
$4,098 COP 13.3M
305.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$11.5K CHF 9,374
$1,940 COP 6.3M
491.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Yens
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$646 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.95
10.94
-82.18%

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

Last update for Yens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Yens
$1.7K
Medellin
$667 59.7% $987
Groceries & Markets
Yens
$569
Medellin
$307 46% $262
Eating Out
Yens
$459
Medellin
$173 62.4% $287
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yens
$362
Medellin
$222 38.6% $140
Clothing & Footwear
Yens
$243
Medellin
$172 29.2% $71
Getting Around
Yens
$155
Medellin
$93 39.6% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Yens
$125
Medellin
$57 54.4% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,735 in Yens versus $1,341 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 $116 in Yens versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $569 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Yens
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
23:28 11:28 PM
17:28 5:28 PM
6 h behind Yens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,200
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.817 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.92 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Yens Medellin 8,890 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Yens
  • Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Medellin cheaper than Yens?
Yes – Yens is pricier by about 111%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,352 per month in Yens and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,341 there versus $1,735 in Yens.
Is eating out cheaper in Yens or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $116 in Yens and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Yens and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,568 in Yens and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 53% cheaper.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Yens or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Yens at $3,568. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yens it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Yens or Medellin more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Medellin is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 53% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Yens vs other spots: cost of living compared

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