Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castelo Branco and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Castelo Branco: $1,100 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Castelo Branco
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Castelo Branco Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Castelo Branco

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,100

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Castelo Branco and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Castelo Branco and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,100 in Castelo Branco versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Castelo Branco $1,100
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,666 in Castelo Branco versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Castelo Branco $1,666
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,233 in Castelo Branco versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Castelo Branco $2,233
Medellin $3,190

Living in Castelo Branco costs roughly 32% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Castelo Branco is 19% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 €10.05

$7.93 COP 25.2K

42.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 €34.80

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-15.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.62 €8.56

$9.50 COP 30.1K

1.26%

Cappuccino

$1.25 €1.11

$3.11 COP 9,866

-59.81%

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

$1.41 €1.25

$1.83 COP 5,800

-22.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.38 COP 4,360

-8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 €0.97

$3.05 COP 9,672

-64.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.96

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-60.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.45 COP 4,600

-19.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.16

$2.36 COP 7,496

-44.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.68 COP 5,328

-13.69%

Eggs

$3.87 €3.44

$2.86 COP 9,077

35.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 €7.79

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-14.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 €5.16

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-39.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 €7.63

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-38.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-48.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.50 COP 4,742

-12.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.17 COP 6,891

-19.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.31 COP 7,310

-0.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.93 COP 6,113

-14.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.64 COP 5,196

-11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.13 COP 3,571

0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.72

$1.25 COP 3,954

-35.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 €5.31

$3.99 COP 12.6K

49.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.39 €3.01

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-74.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.70 COP 5,384

-31.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$2.37 COP 7,525

-17.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.21 COP 3,827

3.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.20 €19.75

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-70.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.32 COP 4,179

70.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 €0.66

$2.14 COP 6,774

-65.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.67 €14.83

$8.47 COP 26.8K

96.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.30 COP 4,114

56.92%

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

$33.5K €29.8K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

19.72%

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

$40.5K €36.0K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

14.31%

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

$120 €106

$172 COP 545.6K

-30.47%

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

$19.03 €16.92

$13.37 COP 42.4K

42.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.99 €28.45

$28.73 COP 91.1K

11.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.32 €34.97

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-13.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 €5.96

$6.28 COP 19.9K

6.69%

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

$678 €603

$770 COP 2.4M

-12.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

87.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 €70.0

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-8.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.71 €39.77

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-21.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 €73.0

$137 COP 432.9K

-39.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.6 €60.2

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-30.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 €407

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-56.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 €323

$616 COP 2.0M

-41.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 €708

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-57.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 €538

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-40.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,574 €1,400

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-61.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,322 €1,176

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-21.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,617 €1,438

$652 COP 2.1M

147.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

10.94

-64.81%

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

Last update for Castelo Branco: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Castelo Branco

$363 33%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 69.6% $253

Groceries & Markets

Castelo Branco

$203 18.4%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 45.4% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castelo Branco

$171 15.5%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 25.5% $44

Eating Out

Castelo Branco

$155 14.1%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 8.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Castelo Branco

$123 11.2%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 38.4% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Castelo Branco

$53 4.8%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 9.7% $5.1

Getting Around

Castelo Branco

$33 3%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 181% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Castelo Branco and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelo Branco pays 148% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Castelo Branco vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $295 per month, with Castelo Branco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Castelo Branco

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

09:04 9:04 AM

6 h behind Castelo Branco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,291

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Castelo Branco Medellin 7,700 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Castelo Branco
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Castelo Branco vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castelo Branco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 148% higher in Castelo Branco, 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: $458 in Castelo Branco versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,100 per month in Castelo Branco versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Castelo Branco runs roughly 245% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,100 in Castelo Branco versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Castelo Branco but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Castelo Branco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Castelo Branco is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Castelo Branco 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 Castelo Branco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.