Cost of Living Comparison Between Zug and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Zug and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $4,420 per month in Zug vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $7,343 per month in Zug vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $10.3K per month in Zug vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Zug costs about 336% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Zug sits 230% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.21 CHF 25.65

$5.99 COP 21.5K

437.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$168 CHF 134

$32.86 COP 118.1K

411.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.47 CHF 15.50

$7.09 COP 25.5K

174.61%

Cappuccino

$7.10 CHF 5.65

$1.71 COP 6,154

315.20%

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

$5.86 CHF 4.67

$1.10 COP 3,949

432.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 CHF 4.45

$0.78 COP 2,798

615.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.45 CHF 8.32

$1.68 COP 6,035

522.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.50 CHF 5.97

$3.07 COP 11.0K

144.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.80

$1.09 COP 3,930

107.34%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 CHF 3.23

$1.26 COP 4,536

221.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.14

$1.38 COP 4,953

276.09%

Eggs

$8.03 CHF 6.40

$2.19 COP 7,876

266.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.12 CHF 23.19

$4.40 COP 15.8K

561.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.71 CHF 28.45

$5.63 COP 20.2K

534.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.38 CHF 34.56

$8.89 COP 32.0K

387.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 CHF 2.92

$2.34 COP 8,401

56.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.65

$1.06 COP 3,801

95.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 CHF 2.20

$1.50 COP 5,408

84.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.15 CHF 5.69

$1.38 COP 4,955

418.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 CHF 1.80

$1.15 COP 4,137

95.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.94

$1.16 COP 4,181

110.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.01

$0.89 COP 3,202

183.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CHF 1.33

$0.84 COP 3,016

98.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.50 CHF 8.36

$2.28 COP 8,196

360.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.13 CHF 15.24

$10.64 COP 38.2K

79.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 CHF 3.16

$1.20 COP 4,311

230.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 CHF 3.36

$2.47 COP 8,880

70.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.98 CHF 3.97

$0.86 COP 3,075

479.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.8 CHF 77.9

$41.40 COP 148.8K

136.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 CHF 6.93

$1.47 COP 5,297

491.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.50 CHF 4.38

$1.96 COP 7,053

180.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.7 CHF 69.1

$7.74 COP 27.8K

1020.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.71

$0.95 COP 3,430

126.32%

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

$40.5K CHF 32.3K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

123.34%

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

$42.0K CHF 33.4K

$26.5K COP 95.2M

58.43%

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

$291 CHF 232

$82.3 COP 295.6K

253.69%

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

$68.7 CHF 54.7

$9.50 COP 34.1K

623.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 CHF 47.47

$24.23 COP 87.1K

145.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$139 CHF 110

$25.89 COP 93.0K

435.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.22 CHF 26.46

$19.00 COP 68.3K

74.84%

Cinema Ticket

$23.72 CHF 18.90

$3.93 COP 14.1K

503.56%

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

$3,950 CHF 3,146

$309 COP 1.1M

1176.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.4K CHF 32.1K

$5,965 COP 21.4M

576.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 87.9

$58.7 COP 210.8K

88.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.5 CHF 42.63

$32.35 COP 116.2K

65.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 CHF 124

$103 COP 368.7K

51.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 147

$108 COP 389.6K

70.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,784 CHF 2,218

$476 COP 1.7M

484.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,229 CHF 1,775

$379 COP 1.4M

488.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,460 CHF 5,145

$838 COP 3.0M

670.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,912 CHF 3,912

$724 COP 2.6M

578.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$32.1K CHF 25.5K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

1049.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$22.1K CHF 17.6K

$1,211 COP 4.4M

1727.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,801 CHF 6,213

$512 COP 1.8M

1424.23%

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 Zug: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,784 in Zug 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.

Salaries run about 1424% higher in Zug, 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 $168 in Zug versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $698 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

Zug vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zug is pricier by about 336%, 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 $6,630 per month in Zug 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 $168 in Zug 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 $4,420 in Zug 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 Zug at $4,420. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zug 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, Zug makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.