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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $956 in Brcko.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,414 in Brcko.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,872 in Brcko.

Living in Medellin is roughly 6% more expensive than Brcko, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Brcko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$6.97 BAM 11.74

-14.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$35.44 BAM 59.7

-7.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.57 BAM 9.38

27.29%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$1.76 BAM 2.97

-2.84%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$1.01 BAM 1.70

8.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.68 BAM 1.15

14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$0.85 BAM 1.43

97.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.07 BAM 3.49

48.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.37 BAM 2.30

-20.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.17 BAM 1.97

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$2.33 BAM 3.93

-40.77%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$2.90 BAM 4.89

-24.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$10.00 BAM 16.85

-56.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$7.31 BAM 12.32

-22.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$13.36 BAM 22.51

-33.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.20 BAM 2.02

95.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$1.70 BAM 2.86

-37.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.85 BAM 3.12

-18.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$1.67 BAM 2.81

-17.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.81 BAM 1.36

41.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.74 BAM 1.24

56.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.93 BAM 1.57

-4.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$1.00 BAM 1.69

-16.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$3.21 BAM 5.40

-28.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$8.45 BAM 14.23

25.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.27 BAM 2.13

-5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$2.05 BAM 3.46

20.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$1.16 BAM 1.95

-25.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$35.76 BAM 60.3

15.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.16 BAM 1.96

26.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.56 BAM 0.95

250.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$10.65 BAM 17.94

-27.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.44 BAM 2.43

-34.03%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$23.2K BAM 39.1K

-21.92%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$25.9K BAM 43.6K

2.33%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$125 BAM 210

-34.09%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$11.67 BAM 19.66

-18.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$28.53 BAM 48.07

-15.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$26.43 BAM 44.53

-2.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$10.76 BAM 18.13

76.58%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.53 BAM 9.32

-28.93%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$154 BAM 260

100.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$3,285 BAM 5,535

81.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$23.26 BAM 39.19

152.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$17.85 BAM 30.07

81.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$87.9 BAM 148

16.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$88.6 BAM 149

22.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$359 BAM 605

32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$260 BAM 438

45.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$523 BAM 882

60.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$359 BAM 605

101.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$1,542 BAM 2,598

80.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,223 BAM 2,060

-0.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$514 BAM 866

-0.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.14

224.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Brcko: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $359 in Brcko. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brcko pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Brcko for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $232 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 Brcko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brcko is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Brcko earns 0% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $359 in Brcko. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $154 in Brcko. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $956 in Brcko versus $1,013 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 6% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.