Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Brcko Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Brcko

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $931 in Brcko.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,369 in Brcko.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,807 in Brcko.

Living in Medellin is roughly 76% more expensive than in Brcko, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.9K

$7.14 BAM 11.99

12.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.7K

$38.85 BAM 65.3

24.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.2K

$7.22 BAM 12.13

30.47%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,105

$1.67 BAM 2.81

76.05%

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

$1.86 COP 5,776

$1.72 BAM 2.88

8.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,511

$1.21 BAM 2.04

20.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,953

$0.85 BAM 1.43

277.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$2.40 BAM 4.03

137.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,460

$1.51 BAM 2.53

-4.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,442

$1.17 BAM 1.97

105.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,265

$2.33 BAM 3.91

-27.04%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,960

$2.96 BAM 4.98

-2.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$9.97 BAM 16.75

0.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.9K

$7.38 BAM 12.39

35.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.0K

$13.61 BAM 22.86

4.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.21 BAM 2.03

228.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,913

$1.87 BAM 3.14

-15.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,671

$1.94 BAM 3.25

10.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,129

$1.76 BAM 2.96

30.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,213

$0.84 BAM 1.41

138.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,679

$0.75 BAM 1.26

101.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,727

$0.92 BAM 1.55

30.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,974

$1.03 BAM 1.72

24.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$3.22 BAM 5.41

19.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.4K

$8.05 BAM 13.52

74.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,294

$1.37 BAM 2.29

24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,500

$2.42 BAM 4.06

13.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,861

$1.21 BAM 2.03

3.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,045

$1.22 BAM 2.04

7.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,728

$0.58 BAM 0.97

274.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.7K

$10.63 BAM 17.85

-22.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,202

$1.50 BAM 2.53

-9.33%

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

$27.5K COP 85.2M

$32.3K BAM 54.3K

-14.97%

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

$36.5K COP 113.2M

$22.7K BAM 38.2K

60.76%

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

$169 COP 523.0K

$126 BAM 211

34.20%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$12.02 BAM 20.18

12.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.8K

$28.62 BAM 48.07

-1.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.7K

$26.46 BAM 44.44

72.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$5.54 BAM 9.30

20.04%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$155 BAM 260

418.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$14.1K BAM 23.7K

-34.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 270.8K

$23.77 BAM 39.92

267.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.0K

$17.88 BAM 30.03

232.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 430.5K

$88.3 BAM 148

57.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.3K

$88.1 BAM 148

15.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$351 BAM 589

205.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$267 BAM 449

144.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$543 BAM 913

254.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$350 BAM 588

199.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$1,539 BAM 2,585

167.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$1,216 BAM 2,042

39.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$501 BAM 841

30.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.3

154.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Brcko: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $351 in Brcko. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Brcko for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $237 per month, with Brcko 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 Brcko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brcko is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $351 in Brcko. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $155 in Brcko. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brcko – 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.

At $931 in Brcko versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Brcko but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Brcko the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Brcko 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.

Expats usually find Brcko gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.