Cost of Living Comparison Between Brainerd, MN and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Brainerd, MN and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,303 in Brainerd, MN versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,077 in Brainerd, MN versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,851 in Brainerd, MN versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Brainerd, MN is roughly 123% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brainerd, MN is 72% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 $13.94

$5.92 COP 21.4K

135.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 $67.1

$32.75 COP 118.2K

104.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 $9.80

$7.20 COP 26.0K

36.11%

Cappuccino

$1.91 $1.91

$1.70 COP 6,140

12.35%

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

$2.36 $2.36

$1.10 COP 3,966

114.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.72 COP 2,605

158.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$1.67 COP 6,022

265.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.10 COP 11.2K

91.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.06 COP 3,809

-3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.25 COP 4,497

164.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$1.39 COP 5,022

187.05%

Eggs

$2.46 $2.46

$2.26 COP 8,168

8.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$4.33 COP 15.6K

117.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.44 $8.44

$5.84 COP 21.1K

44.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$8.83 COP 31.9K

39.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.24 COP 8,099

128.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.08 COP 3,882

7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.85 $5.85

$1.53 COP 5,522

282.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$1.37 COP 4,950

264.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$1.13 COP 4,078

243.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.12 COP 4,036

229.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.85 COP 3,057

137.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.91 COP 3,281

108.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.53 $10.53

$2.33 COP 8,414

351.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 $10.95

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-1.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.19 COP 4,309

46.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.37 COP 8,553

90.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.79 COP 2,838

151.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.32 $39.32

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-4.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.44 COP 5,184

109.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.91 COP 6,901

-28.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.10 $29.10

$8.02 COP 28.9K

262.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.94 COP 3,385

-11.70%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

98.05%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-4.88%

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

$222 $222

$84.0 COP 303.1K

163.97%

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

$45.16 $45.16

$9.60 COP 34.7K

370.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 $59.1

$24.16 COP 87.2K

144.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.42 $42.42

$25.88 COP 93.4K

63.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$9.08 $9.08

$3.92 COP 14.1K

131.63%

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

$1,195 $1,195

$306 COP 1.1M

290.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

416.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.63 $39.63

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-31.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.22 $42.22

$31.82 COP 114.9K

32.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.8 $59.8

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-40.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.8 $64.8

$107 COP 386.8K

-39.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 $1,605

$487 COP 1.8M

229.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 $1,179

$368 COP 1.3M

220.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,627 $2,627

$826 COP 3.0M

218.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 $1,481

$716 COP 2.6M

106.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,435 $2,435

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-16.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,414 $2,414

$1,407 COP 5.1M

71.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

13.43

-52.12%

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

Last update for Brainerd, MN: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,605 in Brainerd, MN and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Brainerd, MN vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $190 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Brainerd, MN vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 123% lower than in Brainerd, MN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,454 in Brainerd, MN and $1,550 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,605 in Brainerd, MN versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $67.0 in Brainerd, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,303 per month in Brainerd, MN versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 123% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $2,303 in Brainerd, MN, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Brainerd, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,034 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Brainerd, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.