Cost of Living Comparison Between Brea, CA and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Brea, CA and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,660 in Brea, CA versus $1,018 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,236 in Brea, CA versus $1,609 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,812 in Brea, CA versus $2,200 in Medellin.

Living in Brea, CA is roughly 161% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brea, CA is 99% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$5.93 COP 19.0K

243.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.2 $86.2

$33.12 COP 106.0K

160.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 $10.19

$7.12 COP 22.8K

43.12%

Cappuccino

$4.94 $4.94

$1.71 COP 5,457

188.89%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.05 COP 3,356

155.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.72 COP 2,311

180.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 $6.95

$1.72 COP 5,502

304.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.17 COP 10.2K

115.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.06 COP 3,408

0.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.31 COP 4,192

198.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$1.33 COP 4,256

261.65%

Eggs

$4.54 $4.54

$2.28 COP 7,298

99.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 $12.59

$4.42 COP 14.1K

184.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.71 $11.71

$5.92 COP 18.9K

97.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.60 $14.60

$8.64 COP 27.7K

68.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.34 COP 7,504

49.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.10 COP 3,527

70.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$1.47 COP 4,698

159.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$1.38 COP 4,415

305.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.17 COP 3,754

179.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.17 COP 3,744

164.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.90 COP 2,890

127.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.84 COP 2,693

158.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.09 $10.09

$2.33 COP 7,449

333.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$11.92 COP 38.1K

27.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.15 COP 3,673

47.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.42 COP 7,749

92.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.84 COP 2,687

135.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 $4.04

$1.41 COP 4,517

186.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.91 COP 6,127

46.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.83 $31.83

$7.83 COP 25.0K

306.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.94 COP 3,020

36.17%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$17.8K COP 57.0M

38.93%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$27.1K COP 86.7M

-1.82%

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

$199 $199

$83.3 COP 266.4K

139.09%

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

$46.42 $46.42

$9.66 COP 30.9K

380.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 $60.1

$24.22 COP 77.5K

148.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.49 $42.49

$25.22 COP 80.7K

68.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 61.9K

Cinema Ticket

$13.90 $13.90

$4.07 COP 13.0K

241.52%

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

$1,230 $1,230

$307 COP 981.2K

301.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.9K $40.9K

$5,981 COP 19.1M

583.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 $69.2

$60.0 COP 191.9K

15.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 $34.19

$32.65 COP 104.5K

4.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 $86.5

$101 COP 323.5K

-14.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$108 COP 345.7K

16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 $1,595

$476 COP 1.5M

235.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 $1,346

$379 COP 1.2M

255.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,800 $2,800

$816 COP 2.6M

242.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,988 $2,988

$707 COP 2.3M

322.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,815 $5,815

$3,190 COP 10.2M

82.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,883 $5,883

$1,446 COP 4.6M

306.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$10.1K $10.1K

$622 COP 2.0M

1531.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.58

13.43

-51.01%

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

Last update for Brea, CA: July 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Brea, CA and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brea, CA pays 1532% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $86.0 in Brea, CA vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $192 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

Brea, CA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 161% lower than in Brea, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1532% higher in Brea, CA, 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: $1,595 in Brea, CA versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,230 in Brea, CA versus $307 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $86.0 in Brea, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,018 in Medellin versus $2,660 in Brea, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Brea, CA. 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 $1,018 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brea, CA and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Brea, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.