Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Castelo Branco Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Castelo Branco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,155 in Castelo Branco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,754 in Castelo Branco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,354 in Castelo Branco.

Living in Medellin is roughly 49% more expensive than in Castelo Branco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Castelo Branco is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$11.46 €9.85

-29.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$40.39 €34.73

19.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$9.86 €8.47

-0.91%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$1.34 €1.15

117.16%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$1.41 €1.22

37.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$1.27 €1.09

19.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$1.13 €0.97

173.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.36 €2.03

143.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.22 €1.05

11.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.33 €1.14

79.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.50 €1.29

13.33%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$4.05 €3.49

-29.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$9.52 €8.18

4.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$6.05 €5.20

78.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$9.00 €7.74

63.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.19 €1.89

86.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.33 €1.14

18.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.85 €1.59

15.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$2.42 €2.08

-8.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$1.73 €1.48

18.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.56 €1.34

-3.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.23 €1.06

-3.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.81 €0.70

43.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.08 €5.23

-35.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$3.46 €2.98

317.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.21 €1.04

30.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$2.01 €1.73

40.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$1.32 €1.13

-11.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$23.05 €19.81

237.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$2.39 €2.05

-46.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.83 €0.72

151.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$17.52 €15.06

-50.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$2.19 €1.88

-40.64%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$34.8K €30.0K

-20.62%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$42.4K €36.4K

-16.25%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$125 €107

41.22%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$19.42 €16.70

-31.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$34.33 €29.51

-12.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$39.88 €34.28

12.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$7.17 €6.17

-13.53%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$705 €606

12.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$17.7K €15.3K

-49.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$81.2 €69.8

5.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$46.95 €40.36

24.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$85.2 €73.2

60.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$69.2 €59.5

49.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$477 €410

122.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$384 €330

77.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$848 €729

137.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$648 €557

80.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$1,643 €1,412

150.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,410 €1,213

20.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$1,695 €1,457

-60.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.79

188.65%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Castelo Branco: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $477 in Castelo Branco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelo Branco pays 155% 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 $40.00 in Castelo Branco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $212 per month, with Castelo Branco 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 Castelo Branco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castelo Branco is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 155% lower in Castelo Branco. 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $477 in Castelo Branco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $1,155 in Castelo Branco – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Castelo Branco runs roughly 237% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,155 in Castelo Branco versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Castelo Branco but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Castelo Branco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Castelo Branco 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Castelo Branco are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Castelo Branco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.