Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Brades Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Brades

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $919 in Brades.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,178 in Brades.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $3,437 in Brades.

Living in Medellin is roughly 79% more expensive than in Brades, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Brades is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$18.86 EC$50.9

-57.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$48.50 EC$131

-0.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$11.82 EC$31.92

-20.30%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$7.05 EC$19.03

-58.30%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$2.89 EC$7.79

-35.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.57 EC$4.24

-7.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.99 EC$8.07

7.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.52 EC$12.20

26.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$3.50 EC$9.45

-58.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.94 EC$7.95

-18.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$7.44 EC$20.09

-61.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$5.83 EC$15.74

72.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$9.33 EC$25.20

6.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$22.92 EC$61.9

-38.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.33 EC$8.99

19.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$4.48 EC$12.09

-48.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.16 EC$5.83

-30.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$5.09 EC$13.74

-76.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$22.33 EC$60.3

-37.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$4.56 EC$12.32

-39.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.86 EC$5.03

-32.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$4.56 EC$12.31

-52.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$1.86 EC$5.03

345.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$22.4K EC$60.4K

22.71%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$14.9K EC$40.2K

145.16%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$94.2 EC$254

79.09%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$40.71 EC$110

-66.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$47.66 EC$129

-40.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$56.1 EC$152

-18.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

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

$803 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,277 EC$3,449

50.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,301 EC$3,512

-19.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,276 EC$3,446

-48.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Brades: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Brades pays 95% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $48.00 in Brades for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $345 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

Medellin vs Brades: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brades wins on cost – living expenses run 79% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brades the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 95% lower in Brades. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $919 in Brades – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $919 in Brades versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brades but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Brades the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Brades delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $919 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brades hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Brades 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 Brades gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.