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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $4,487 per month in Zug vs $1,030 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $7,218 per month in Zug vs $1,586 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $9,950 per month in Zug vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

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

Zug sits 235% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.36 CHF 25.37

$5.92 COP 21.2K

446.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$165 CHF 130

$33.17 COP 118.7K

398.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.36 CHF 15.18

$7.25 COP 25.9K

167.03%

Cappuccino

$6.99 CHF 5.48

$1.71 COP 6,137

308.77%

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

$6.00 CHF 4.71

$1.09 COP 3,915

450.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 CHF 4.27

$0.77 COP 2,743

606.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.38 CHF 8.14

$1.75 COP 6,254

493.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 CHF 5.67

$3.18 COP 11.4K

127.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.79

$1.06 COP 3,792

115.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 CHF 3.04

$1.30 COP 4,657

197.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 CHF 4.03

$1.38 COP 4,926

271.74%

Eggs

$7.91 CHF 6.20

$2.21 COP 7,908

257.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.31 CHF 22.98

$4.52 COP 16.2K

548.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.11 CHF 28.31

$5.80 COP 20.7K

522.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.88 CHF 35.19

$8.97 COP 32.1K

400.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 2.99

$2.29 COP 8,182

66.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.68

$1.06 COP 3,791

101.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 CHF 2.18

$1.51 COP 5,411

84.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.13 CHF 5.59

$1.36 COP 4,869

424.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 CHF 1.82

$1.16 COP 4,146

100.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 1.93

$1.17 COP 4,174

110.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CHF 2.01

$0.83 COP 2,960

209.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CHF 1.28

$0.85 COP 3,043

91.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.65 CHF 8.35

$2.35 COP 8,423

353.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.87 CHF 14.80

$11.09 COP 39.7K

70.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 CHF 3.12

$1.15 COP 4,133

246.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 CHF 3.48

$2.47 COP 8,853

79.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.90 CHF 3.84

$0.79 COP 2,827

520.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.7 CHF 77.4

$41.85 COP 149.8K

135.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.82 CHF 6.91

$1.44 COP 5,140

512.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.63 CHF 4.42

$1.90 COP 6,793

196.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.2 CHF 69.1

$7.70 COP 27.6K

1045.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.68

$1.03 COP 3,680

107.77%

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

$41.0K CHF 32.1K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

131.80%

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

$42.5K CHF 33.4K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

57.47%

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

$290 CHF 227

$81.4 COP 291.4K

256.36%

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

$67.3 CHF 52.8

$9.42 COP 33.7K

614.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 CHF 46.37

$23.77 COP 85.1K

148.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$136 CHF 107

$25.86 COP 92.6K

426.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.73 CHF 25.66

$19.34 COP 69.2K

69.23%

Cinema Ticket

$23.00 CHF 18.03

$4.05 COP 14.5K

467.90%

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

$4,037 CHF 3,165

$312 COP 1.1M

1192.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.9K CHF 31.3K

$6,067 COP 21.7M

558.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 85.9

$58.9 COP 210.7K

86.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 CHF 41.63

$32.82 COP 117.5K

61.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 CHF 122

$100 COP 359.6K

54.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 CHF 147

$106 COP 380.3K

76.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,797 CHF 2,193

$490 COP 1.8M

471.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 CHF 1,741

$371 COP 1.3M

499.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,587 CHF 5,164

$838 COP 3.0M

686.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,857 CHF 3,808

$715 COP 2.6M

579.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$32.8K CHF 25.8K

$2,952 COP 10.6M

1012.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$22.9K CHF 18.0K

$1,394 COP 5.0M

1542.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,764 CHF 6,087

$532 COP 1.9M

1359.39%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,797 in Zug versus $490 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 1359% 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 $165 in Zug versus $33 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $704 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

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 $6,731 per month in Zug and $1,544 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 $165 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 $4,487 in Zug and $1,030 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 $1,030, than in Zug at $4,487. 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.