Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Brasilia versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,408 in Brasilia versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,949 in Brasilia versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 16% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 35% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 R$37.31

$6.16 COP 20.1K

18.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.07 R$204

$32.60 COP 106.1K

22.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 R$32.45

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-13.22%

Cappuccino

$1.88 R$9.56

$1.72 COP 5,599

9.30%

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

$1.18 R$6.01

$1.05 COP 3,420

12.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.38

$0.77 COP 2,515

11.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 R$9.33

$1.69 COP 5,487

8.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 R$16.82

$3.17 COP 10.3K

4.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.08

$1.05 COP 3,423

-4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.19

$1.30 COP 4,236

23.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.20

$1.40 COP 4,544

0.71%

Eggs

$2.12 R$10.77

$2.16 COP 7,046

-1.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 R$48.40

$4.39 COP 14.3K

116.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 R$16.75

$5.88 COP 19.1K

-44.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.92 R$35.24

$8.64 COP 28.1K

-19.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 R$10.30

$2.28 COP 7,425

-11.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$1.11 COP 3,603

26.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.85

$1.53 COP 4,982

-24.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.16

$1.35 COP 4,410

18.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.13 COP 3,674

8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.56

$1.13 COP 3,692

14.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.77

$0.85 COP 2,753

-12.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 R$3.33

$0.91 COP 2,975

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 R$11.18

$2.34 COP 7,629

-5.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 R$40.52

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-35.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.20 COP 3,909

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 R$11.48

$2.49 COP 8,104

-9.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$4.97

$0.84 COP 2,727

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.21 R$225

$40.57 COP 132.1K

8.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 R$4.85

$1.42 COP 4,623

-33.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R$4.04

$1.92 COP 6,235

-58.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 R$29.40

$7.66 COP 24.9K

-24.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.71

$0.99 COP 3,223

13.13%

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

$24.7K R$125.9K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

37.15%

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

$29.3K R$149.2K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

10.08%

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

$71.2 R$363

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-11.87%

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

$13.29 R$67.7

$9.95 COP 32.4K

33.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.78 R$106

$24.18 COP 78.7K

-14.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.51 R$130

$25.08 COP 81.6K

1.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.65 R$110

$19.15 COP 62.3K

13.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 R$35.97

$3.98 COP 13.0K

77.64%

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

$480 R$2,444

$305 COP 993.4K

57.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K R$77.7K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

151.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 R$293

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-0.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.90 R$208

$32.20 COP 104.8K

27.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.8 R$345

$101 COP 327.9K

-32.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.1 R$327

$108 COP 350.8K

-40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 R$2,081

$477 COP 1.6M

-14.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 R$1,304

$376 COP 1.2M

-31.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 R$4,916

$845 COP 2.7M

14.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 R$2,819

$730 COP 2.4M

-24.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,502 R$12.7K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-22.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,681 R$8,561

$1,372 COP 4.5M

22.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 R$4,775

$617 COP 2.0M

52.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.87

13.43

-11.62%

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

Last update for Brasilia: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $409 in Brasilia and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Brasilia vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $180 vs $193, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

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

Brasilia vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Medellin differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($866 vs $1,031 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 52% higher in Brasilia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $409 in Brasilia versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $866 per month in Brasilia versus $1,031 in Medellin – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $866 in Brasilia versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.