Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Brest, France

For one person, living is cheaper in Brest: $1,385 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Medellin, Colombia
Brest, France
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Brest
🇫🇷 France
$1,385
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Brest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Brest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,385 in Brest.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Brest $1,385

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $2,163 in Brest.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Brest $2,163

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,941 in Brest.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Brest $2,941

Living in Medellin is roughly 18% more expensive than in Brest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Brest 2% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Brest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$15.75 €14.12
-48.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$43.99 €39.42
6.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$11.15 €9.99
-14.80%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$2.91 €2.61
3.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$2.92 €2.62
-38.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$2.11 €1.89
-33.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$6.76 €6.06
-52.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$5.24 €4.70
9.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Brest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$1.14 €1.02
32.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$1.60 €1.44
48.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$2.52 €2.26
-29.76%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$3.63 €3.25
-20.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$18.30 €16.40
-44.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$10.22 €9.16
-3.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$14.01 €12.56
-0.14%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$3.01 €2.70
31.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$1.91 €1.72
-18.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$2.57 €2.30
-15.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$2.79 €2.50
-21.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$1.73 €1.55
13.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$2.12 €1.90
-25.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$1.32 €1.19
-12.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.34 €0.31
264.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$13.59 €12.18
-70.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$6.53 €5.85
109.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$2.67 €2.39
-37.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
$2.77 €2.48
-18.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Brest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
$1.85 €1.65
-36.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$40.15 €35.98
92.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$8.12 €7.28
-84.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$3.03 €2.72
-32.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$31.43 €28.16
-72.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$2.09 €1.88
-35.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$35.7K €32.0K
-4.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$33.9K €30.4K
2.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Brest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$138 €124
23.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$28.25 €25.32
-52.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$30.40 €27.24
-7.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Brest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$35.19 €31.53
24.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$15.11 €13.54
13.77%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$13.91 €12.47
-50.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Brest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$224 €201
254.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$11.6K €10.4K
-21.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Brest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$70.2 €62.9
20.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$30.19 €27.05
91.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$79.5 €71.2
69.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$72.1 €64.6
35.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Brest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$508 €455
137.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$381 €342
68.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$864 €775
134.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$737 €660
37.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$2,809 €2,517
48.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$2,453 €2,198
-22.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Brest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$2,594 €2,325
-74.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.82
186.39%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brest: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Brest
$381 40.6% $260
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Brest
$302 1.5% $4.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Brest
$197 7% $15
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Brest
$259 52.6% $89
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Brest
$113 32.9% $56
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Brest
$71 24.3% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Brest
$63 9.5% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $508 in Brest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brest pays about 3.9 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $44 in Brest. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $302, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇫🇷 Brest
🕒 Local time
04:19 4:19 AM
10:19 10:19 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
139,619
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Brest 8,100 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Brest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Brest?
Brest wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Brest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Medellin or in Brest?
On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Medellin. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Medellin compared to Brest?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $508 in Brest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Medellin and in Brest?
Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $224 in Brest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Medellin and in Brest?
Dining out is cheaper in Brest – a meal for two runs $44 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Medellin or in Brest?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Brest is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Medellin or Brest?
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.

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