Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Brasilia Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Brasilia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $969 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,551 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,132 in Brasilia.

Living in Medellin is roughly 69% more expensive than in Brasilia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Brasilia is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$8.92 R$45.75

-9.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$38.80 R$199

24.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$8.49 R$43.54

10.95%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.58 R$13.24

13.95%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.41 R$7.22

31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.90 R$4.62

62.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.36 R$12.07

36.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.87 R$19.83

47.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.08 R$5.53

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.03 R$10.43

18.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.28 R$6.58

32.81%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.43 R$12.45

18.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.81 R$60.6

-14.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.11 R$21.09

142.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$8.48 R$43.47

67.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.42 R$12.39

64.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.46 R$7.47

8.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.28 R$6.55

67.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.65 R$8.45

39.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.16 R$5.92

72.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.07 R$5.47

41.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.79 R$4.03

51.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.95 R$4.85

34.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.40 R$12.29

60.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.23 R$42.17

70.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.22 R$6.27

40.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.34 R$12.02

17.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.00 R$5.10

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$35.06 R$180

122.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.07 R$5.47

22.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.92 R$4.73

135.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$6.05 R$30.99

37.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.31 R$6.73

3.82%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$23.3K R$119.6K

17.78%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$31.9K R$163.6K

14.47%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$96.4 R$494

74.97%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$12.61 R$64.6

7.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$21.81 R$112

29.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$31.07 R$159

47.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$27.00 R$138

-36.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.68 R$39.38

-13.41%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$822 R$4,214

-2.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$16.4K R$84.3K

-44.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$51.7 R$265

68.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$43.32 R$222

37.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$83.3 R$427

66.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$86.4 R$443

18.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$479 R$2,453

123.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$258 R$1,322

153.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,116 R$5,719

72.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$557 R$2,855

88.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,457 R$12.6K

67.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,748 R$8,962

-2.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$844 R$4,327

-22.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

12.12

-9.74%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $479 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 29% 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 $39.00 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $209 per month, with Brasilia 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 Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Brasilia differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $969 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Brasilia. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $479 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $969 in Brasilia – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $969 in Brasilia versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia 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.

Expats usually find Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.