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: $2,617 in Brea, CA versus $1,030 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,228 in Brea, CA versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,839 in Brea, CA versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Brea, CA is roughly 154% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brea, CA is 95% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.36 $20.36

$5.92 COP 21.2K

243.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$33.17 COP 118.7K

155.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.98 $9.98

$7.25 COP 25.9K

37.66%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$1.71 COP 6,137

200.00%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$1.09 COP 3,915

147.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.77 COP 2,743

163.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.21 $7.21

$1.75 COP 6,254

312.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 $7.04

$3.18 COP 11.4K

121.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.06 COP 3,792

1.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.30 COP 4,657

206.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$1.38 COP 4,926

238.41%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$2.21 COP 7,908

102.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.52 COP 16.2K

172.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$5.80 COP 20.7K

97.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$8.97 COP 32.1K

64.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.29 COP 8,182

51.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.06 COP 3,791

79.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.51 COP 5,411

148.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$1.36 COP 4,869

305.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$1.16 COP 4,146

178.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.17 COP 4,174

152.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.83 COP 2,960

133.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.85 COP 3,043

150.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.03 $10.03

$2.35 COP 8,423

326.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 $15.03

$11.09 COP 39.7K

35.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.15 COP 4,133

49.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.47 COP 8,853

83.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.79 COP 2,827

151.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.44 COP 5,140

184.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.90 COP 6,793

46.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.42 $31.42

$7.70 COP 27.6K

308.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.03 COP 3,680

19.42%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

38.56%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

0.12%

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

$198 $198

$81.4 COP 291.4K

143.18%

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

$46.68 $46.68

$9.42 COP 33.7K

395.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 $60.8

$23.77 COP 85.1K

155.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.53 $42.53

$25.86 COP 92.6K

64.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 $13.82

$4.05 COP 14.5K

241.23%

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

$1,207 $1,207

$312 COP 1.1M

286.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.5K $40.5K

$6,067 COP 21.7M

567.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 $69.6

$58.9 COP 210.7K

18.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.40 $34.40

$32.82 COP 117.5K

4.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 $84.5

$100 COP 359.6K

-15.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$106 COP 380.3K

18.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$490 COP 1.8M

224.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 $1,358

$371 COP 1.3M

266.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 $2,812

$838 COP 3.0M

235.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,013 $3,013

$715 COP 2.6M

321.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,968 $5,968

$2,952 COP 10.6M

102.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,856 $5,856

$1,394 COP 5.0M

320.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,867 $9,867

$532 COP 1.9M

1754.59%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Brea, CA and $490 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brea, CA pays 1755% 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: $85 in Brea, CA vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $394 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

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 154% 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.

Brea, CA pays 1755% more on average, 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: $1,589 in Brea, CA versus $490 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,207 in Brea, CA versus $312 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 $85.0 in Brea, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,030 in Medellin versus $2,617 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 $1,030 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 154% less than in Brea, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.