Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Brest Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Brest

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $855 in Brest, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,349 in Brest, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,842 in Brest, rent included.

Medellin costs about 97% more than Brest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Brest is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$13.62 BYN 41.14

-41.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$37.20 BYN 112

28.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.40 BYN 19.34

54.53%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.13 BYN 6.43

46.95%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.97 BYN 2.94

96.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.89 BYN 2.70

69.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.03 BYN 9.15

2.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.98 BYN 12.03

44.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.12 BYN 3.37

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.94 BYN 2.84

164.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.01 BYN 3.05

75.25%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.54 BYN 4.65

92.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.06 BYN 21.31

42.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.55 BYN 10.72

185.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$3.41 BYN 10.29

319.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.94 BYN 5.85

113.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.45 BYN 7.41

-34.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.19 BYN 6.62

2.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.54 BYN 7.67

-11.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.86 BYN 2.60

137.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.63 BYN 4.91

-5.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.94 BYN 5.86

-39.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.34 BYN 4.05

-2.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.67 BYN 8.06

46.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$7.60 BYN 22.96

84.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.18 BYN 3.55

47.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.99 BYN 6.01

44.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.33 BYN 0.99

269.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$15.98 BYN 48.25

403.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.81 BYN 2.44

61.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.52 BYN 1.58

321.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$16.29 BYN 49.18

-46.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.86 BYN 2.59

59.30%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$18.6K BYN 56.1K

49.98%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$27.9K BYN 84.1K

28.44%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$64.1 BYN 193

176.73%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$11.36 BYN 34.31

22.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$21.94 BYN 66.3

35.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$33.20 BYN 100

35.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$7.72 BYN 23.30

121.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.24 BYN 15.82

26.91%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$327 BYN 988

148.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$6,096 BYN 18.4K

50.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$50.7 BYN 153

76.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$38.82 BYN 117

51.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$134 BYN 404

3.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$85.4 BYN 258

19.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$358 BYN 1,082

196.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$177 BYN 536

273.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$500 BYN 1,510

277.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$320 BYN 967

220.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,375 BYN 7,174

76.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$2,783 BYN 8,405

-39.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$526 BYN 1,588

28.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-0.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Brest: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $358 in Brest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 29% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $37.00 in Brest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $181 – making Brest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Brest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 97% more than Brest, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,283 in Brest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 69% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $37.00 in Brest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Brest, where all-in costs run around $855, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Brest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Brest costs $855 versus $1,681 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Brest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.