Cost of Living Comparison Between Brest and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Brest and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,504 in Brest versus $1,028 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Brest versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,124 in Brest versus $2,144 in Medellin.

Living in Brest is roughly 46% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brest is 13% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.98 €13.76

$6.00 COP 20.6K

166.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.2 €44.12

$32.84 COP 112.5K

56.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 €9.62

$7.42 COP 25.4K

50.54%

Cappuccino

$3.38 €2.91

$1.65 COP 5,659

104.85%

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

$2.43 €2.09

$1.07 COP 3,663

127.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.53

$0.76 COP 2,607

134.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 €5.73

$1.72 COP 5,908

287.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 €4.42

$3.20 COP 11.0K

60.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.05 COP 3,597

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.31 COP 4,479

32.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.34 COP 4,591

57.46%

Eggs

$3.80 €3.27

$2.19 COP 7,521

73.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.39 €15.84

$4.41 COP 15.1K

317.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.47 €11.60

$5.69 COP 19.5K

136.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 €11.32

$8.52 COP 29.2K

54.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$2.34 COP 8,023

18.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.11 COP 3,804

77.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 €3.67

$1.52 COP 5,210

180.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 €2.87

$1.37 COP 4,680

143.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.15 COP 3,950

59.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.18 COP 4,043

89.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.84 COP 2,885

63.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 €0.32

$0.86 COP 2,931

-56.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.65 €10.89

$2.26 COP 7,753

459.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.87 €5.92

$11.60 COP 39.8K

-40.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.67 €3.16

$1.20 COP 4,109

205.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 €2.65

$2.48 COP 8,484

23.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.79 COP 2,721

153.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.19 €41.49

$40.83 COP 139.9K

18.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 €5.07

$1.47 COP 5,023

300.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.92 COP 6,568

-8.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.72 €27.31

$7.77 COP 26.6K

308.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.01 COP 3,464

105.94%

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

$36.3K €31.3K

$17.7K COP 60.5M

105.83%

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

$33.3K €28.6K

$26.5K COP 90.7M

25.76%

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

$179 €154

$81.1 COP 277.9K

120.83%

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

$22.99 €19.80

$9.43 COP 32.3K

143.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.36 €21.84

$23.86 COP 81.8K

6.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.09 €32.80

$25.99 COP 89.1K

46.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.24 €20.87

$18.71 COP 64.1K

29.56%

Cinema Ticket

$14.02 €12.07

$4.09 COP 14.0K

242.79%

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

$231 €199

$315 COP 1.1M

-26.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.2K

$6,022 COP 20.6M

96.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 €49.57

$59.7 COP 204.6K

-3.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.18 €37.18

$31.97 COP 109.6K

35.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 €63.3

$101 COP 346.9K

-27.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 €79.3

$105 COP 360.3K

-12.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 €458

$485 COP 1.7M

9.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 €339

$365 COP 1.3M

7.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 €730

$827 COP 2.8M

2.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 €641

$730 COP 2.5M

1.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,816 €2,425

$2,992 COP 10.3M

-5.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,486 €2,140

$1,314 COP 4.5M

89.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,737 €2,357

$551 COP 1.9M

396.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

13.43

-73.05%

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

Last update for Brest: June 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $532 in Brest and $485 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brest pays 397% 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: $51.0 in Brest vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 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

Brest vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Brest. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Brest pays 397% 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: $532 in Brest versus $485 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 $51.0 in Brest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,504 per month in Brest versus $1,028 in Medellin – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,504 in Brest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Brest. 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 $1,028 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brest 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 46% less than in Brest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.