Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Braganca Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Braganca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,066 in Braganca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,590 in Braganca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,113 in Braganca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 58% more expensive than in Braganca, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Braganca is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 24.9K

$11.71 €10.15

-31.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 148.7K

$40.15 €34.79

19.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.7K

$9.33 €8.09

6.00%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,724

$1.53 €1.32

104.58%

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

$1.91 COP 5,928

$1.38 €1.20

38.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,692

$1.07 €0.93

41.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,705

$1.17 €1.01

166.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.37 €2.05

142.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,489

$1.15 €0.99

25.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,725

$1.85 €1.60

34.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,510

$1.63 €1.41

8.59%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,195

$3.46 €3.00

-14.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.3K

$10.02 €8.68

0.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.4K

$6.81 €5.90

48.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.4K

$12.43 €10.77

15.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.8K

$2.41 €2.09

71.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 4,997

$1.39 €1.21

15.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,976

$1.92 €1.66

17.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,997

$2.89 €2.50

-22.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,347

$2.01 €1.74

1.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,769

$1.89 €1.64

-18.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,635

$1.26 €1.09

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,059

$0.92 €0.79

42.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.1K

$6.11 €5.29

-36.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$4.64 €4.02

201.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,415

$1.24 €1.08

40.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,917

$1.73 €1.50

65.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,776

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 250.0K

$11.74 €10.17

585.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,066

$4.01 €3.48

-67.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,796

$1.14 €0.99

92.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.1K

$17.43 €15.10

-50.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,241

$2.13 €1.84

-35.68%

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

$27.8K COP 86.5M

$34.4K €29.8K

-19.01%

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

$35.8K COP 111.1M

$39.2K €34.0K

-8.73%

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

$177 COP 550.8K

$115 €99.3

54.71%

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

$13.88 COP 43.1K

$18.43 €15.97

-24.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.4K

$36.24 €31.41

-17.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 139.4K

$35.15 €30.46

27.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.2K

$5.63 €4.88

204.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$5.73 €4.97

16.06%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$341 €295

138.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.5M

$10.1K €8,755

-9.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 278.0K

$22.88 €19.83

291.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 183.2K

$22.65 €19.63

160.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 429.4K

$68.7 €59.5

101.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 317.3K

$101 €87.4

1.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$422 €366

151.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$328 €285

101.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$744 €645

153.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$480 €416

113.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.0M

$1,100 €953

280.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$862 €747

94.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,183 €1,025

-42.70%

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 Braganca: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $422 in Braganca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Braganca pays 75% 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 $40.00 in Braganca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $239 per month, with Braganca 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 Braganca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Braganca differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,066 including rent). Braganca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Braganca. 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 $422 in Braganca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Braganca runs roughly 586% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $341 in Braganca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,066 in Braganca versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Braganca but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Braganca 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 Braganca 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 Braganca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.