Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Manizales

For one person, living is cheaper in Manizales: $1,173 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Manizales
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Manizales Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Manizales

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,173

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Manizales

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $1,173 in Manizales.

Austin, TX $2,689
Manizales $1,173

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,849 in Manizales.

Austin, TX $4,112
Manizales $1,849

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $2,525 in Manizales.

Austin, TX $5,534
Manizales $2,525

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 129% more expensive than in Manizales, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Manizales is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$7.09 COP 22.9K

200.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$42.83 COP 138.3K

105.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$10.10 COP 32.6K

23.17%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$1.68 COP 5,419

233.33%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$1.36 COP 4,398

168.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.91 COP 2,946

162.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$1.68 COP 5,436

365.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$2.43 COP 7,837

260.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.75 COP 2,429

49.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.32 COP 7,496

56.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.89 COP 6,098

85.19%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$3.40 COP 11.0K

30.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$7.85 COP 25.4K

67.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$7.34 COP 23.7K

89.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$10.29 COP 33.2K

59.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.48 COP 11.2K

35.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.77 COP 5,718

-15.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.90 COP 6,122

144.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.83 COP 5,925

146.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.43 COP 4,628

78.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.43 COP 4,630

67.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.32 COP 4,271

39.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.20 COP 3,870

77.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$4.29 COP 13.8K

134.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.39 COP 40.0K

20.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.50 COP 4,859

88.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.07 COP 9,904

7.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.99 COP 3,194

24.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$57.1 COP 184.5K

-27.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.13 COP 3,653

137.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$0.55 COP 1,760

196.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$7.28 COP 23.5K

383.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.27 COP 4,104

-22.83%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$34.5K COP 111.4M

-0.36%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$34.9K COP 112.6M

-23.11%

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

$252 $252

$127 COP 410.7K

98.29%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$11.72 COP 37.8K

410.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$30.40 COP 98.2K

129.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$32.21 COP 104.0K

87.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$7.68 COP 24.8K

79.04%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$551 COP 1.8M

164.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$6,609 COP 21.3M

302.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$85.1 COP 274.9K

-38.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$47.46 COP 153.3K

-3.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$144 COP 464.6K

-40.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$105 COP 340.6K

0.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$398 COP 1.3M

451.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$337 COP 1.1M

277.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$1,089 COP 3.5M

267.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$687 COP 2.2M

250.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,511 COP 8.1M

193.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$1,798 COP 5.8M

64.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$1,226 COP 4.0M

311.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

-43.17%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Manizales: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Manizales

$337 28.7% 73.5% $932

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Manizales

$253 21.6% 37.9% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Manizales

$169 14.4% 55.6% $212

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Manizales

$129 11% 63.6% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Manizales

$172 14.7% 31.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Manizales

$48 4.1% 45.9% $40

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Manizales

$65 5.5% 13.6% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $398 in Manizales. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 4.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $43 in Manizales for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $253 per month, with Manizales cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇴 Manizales

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

458,442

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Manizales 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Manizales

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

Austin, TX vs Manizales: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manizales wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Manizales the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Austin, TX is about 4.1 times higher, 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $398 in Manizales. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,173 in Manizales – Manizales is about 56% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 27% less than in Manizales. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,173 in Manizales versus $2,689 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manizales but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Manizales the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Manizales wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.