Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Braga Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Braga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,624 in Braga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,346 in Braga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,068 in Braga.

Living in Medellin is roughly 4% more expensive than in Braga, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Braga 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$11.69 €10.19

-31.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$49.86 €43.44

-3.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$9.25 €8.06

6.92%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$1.91 €1.66

63.87%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$2.27 €1.98

-15.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$1.23 €1.07

22.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$3.57 €3.11

-12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.82 €2.46

103.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.15 €1.00

25.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$2.12 €1.84

17.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.86 €1.62

-4.84%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$3.41 €2.97

-13.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$10.15 €8.85

-0.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$8.34 €7.26

21.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$15.61 €13.60

-8.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.45 €2.13

68.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.45 €1.27

11.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.88 €1.64

19.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$2.81 €2.45

-19.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.01 €1.75

1.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.91 €1.67

-19.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.25 €1.09

-6.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.97 €0.85

35.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$6.74 €5.87

-42.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$4.69 €4.08

198.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.30 €1.14

33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$1.75 €1.52

64.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.80 €1.57

-32.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$23.12 €20.14

248.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$4.41 €3.85

-70.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.74 €1.51

25.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$17.44 €15.19

-50.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$2.12 €1.85

-35.38%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$34.0K €29.6K

-18.20%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$38.8K €33.8K

-7.72%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$115 €99.8

54.71%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$18.45 €16.07

-24.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$48.05 €41.86

-38.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$47.18 €41.10

-4.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$13.45 €11.72

27.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$9.21 €8.03

-27.80%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$347 €302

134.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$10.1K €8,842

-9.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$68.2 €59.4

31.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$38.11 €33.20

54.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$85.8 €74.7

61.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$102 €89.2

-0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$960 €836

10.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$756 €658

-12.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,461 €1,273

29.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$1,101 €960

-6.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$2,620 €2,282

59.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,973 €1,719

-15.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,306 €1,138

-48.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.55

208.17%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Braga: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $960 in Braga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Braga pays 93% 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 $50.0 in Braga. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $261, with Braga cheaper for home cooking.

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 Braga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Braga differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,624 including rent). Braga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 93% lower in Braga. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $960 in Braga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $347 in Braga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,624 in Braga versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Braga but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Braga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Braga 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 Braga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.