Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,649 in Brussels versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,979 in Brussels versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,309 in Brussels versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Brussels is roughly 54% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 93% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.25 €19.99

$8.03 COP 25.2K

189.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 €81.1

$48.26 COP 151.7K

95.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 €12.79

$9.77 COP 30.7K

52.30%

Cappuccino

$4.47 €3.85

$2.91 COP 9,149

53.61%

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

$3.60 €3.10

$1.94 COP 6,110

85.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.90

$1.52 COP 4,783

121.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 €5.12

$3.09 COP 9,721

92.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.01

$5.74 COP 18.1K

1.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.36 COP 4,287

8.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 €2.51

$2.39 COP 7,505

22.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.62

$1.70 COP 5,346

79.41%

Eggs

$5.48 €4.71

$2.87 COP 9,021

90.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.85 €15.35

$9.94 COP 31.2K

79.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.43 €11.55

$10.78 COP 33.9K

24.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.46 €20.17

$14.73 COP 46.3K

59.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 €2.91

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-17.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 €2.33

$1.57 COP 4,940

72.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 €2.61

$2.13 COP 6,682

42.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 €3.71

$2.21 COP 6,959

95.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.36

$2.05 COP 6,435

34.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$1.50 COP 4,728

62.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.19 COP 3,740

63.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.16 COP 3,640

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.12 €12.14

$3.90 COP 12.2K

262.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.48 €9.01

$14.44 COP 45.4K

-27.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.44

$1.58 COP 4,978

79.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 €2.78

$2.83 COP 8,889

14.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 €2.42

$1.17 COP 3,672

141.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.0 €55.0

$77.7 COP 244.3K

-17.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.28 COP 4,038

132.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.09 COP 6,576

0.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.45 €36.49

$8.62 COP 27.1K

392.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.85

$1.30 COP 4,080

66.15%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

31.45%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-3.03%

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

$285 €245

$176 COP 553.4K

61.67%

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

$22.13 €19.03

$13.37 COP 42.0K

65.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 €47.67

$29.89 COP 94.0K

85.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.05 €30.99

$44.76 COP 140.7K

-19.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.90 €25.71

$17.06 COP 53.6K

75.26%

Cinema Ticket

$16.36 €14.06

$6.20 COP 19.5K

163.87%

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

$1,732 €1,489

$793 COP 2.5M

118.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.7K €34.2K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

340.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €93.3

$85.6 COP 269.1K

26.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.07 €37.89

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-24.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.4

$136 COP 428.4K

-18.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 €130

$103 COP 324.1K

46.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 €1,253

$1,060 COP 3.3M

37.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 €1,034

$680 COP 2.1M

77.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 €2,178

$2,012 COP 6.3M

25.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 €1,792

$1,169 COP 3.7M

78.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,250 €4,513

$4,111 COP 12.9M

27.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,181 €3,594

$1,701 COP 5.3M

145.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,402 €2,925

$665 COP 2.1M

411.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.66

10.94

-66.54%

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

Last update for Brussels: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,458 in Brussels and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 411% 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: $94.0 in Brussels vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $413 vs $303 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

Brussels vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Brussels. 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 411% higher in Brussels, 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: $1,458 in Brussels versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $94.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,649 in Brussels, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Brussels. 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 $1,716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brussels 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 54% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.