Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Manizales

For one person, living is cheaper in Manizales: $1,181 a month against $1,241 in Cali, rent and utilities included – about $720 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Manizales
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Manizales Living Index

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Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,241

/mo nomad

Manizales

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,181

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cali 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 Cali and in Manizales actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,241 in Cali versus $1,181 in Manizales.

Cali $1,241
Manizales $1,181

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,856 in Cali versus $1,863 in Manizales.

Cali $1,856
Manizales $1,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,470 in Cali versus $2,546 in Manizales.

Cali $2,470
Manizales $2,546

Living in Cali is roughly 5% more expensive than in Manizales, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cali 9% lower, Manizales 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 COP 17.2K

$7.09 COP 22.9K

-24.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 COP 185.5K

$42.81 COP 138.2K

34.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 COP 20.0K

$10.30 COP 33.3K

-39.90%

Cappuccino

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.75 COP 5,652

81.71%

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

$2.37 COP 7,642

$1.34 COP 4,324

76.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 COP 7,114

$0.85 COP 2,739

158.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 COP 11.2K

$1.78 COP 5,747

94.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 COP 11.9K

$2.58 COP 8,331

42.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 COP 5,394

$0.76 COP 2,447

119.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 COP 5,887

$2.46 COP 7,942

-26.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,403

$1.75 COP 5,654

-4.57%

Eggs

$3.08 COP 9,953

$3.47 COP 11.2K

-11.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 COP 28.3K

$8.35 COP 27.0K

5.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 COP 30.5K

$7.17 COP 23.1K

31.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 COP 35.2K

$9.59 COP 31.0K

13.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 COP 12.6K

$3.50 COP 11.3K

11.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 COP 3,893

$1.85 COP 5,985

-34.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,369

$2.02 COP 6,513

-33.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,739

$1.91 COP 6,165

9.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,467

$1.49 COP 4,810

13.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,226

$1.37 COP 4,412

18.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 COP 3,281

$1.30 COP 4,201

-21.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 2,752

$1.14 COP 3,687

-25.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 COP 14.7K

$4.47 COP 14.4K

1.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.12 COP 55.3K

$12.78 COP 41.3K

33.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,091

$1.47 COP 4,736

7.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 COP 6,354

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-37.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 COP 3,643

$0.98 COP 3,169

15.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 COP 217.4K

$55.6 COP 179.4K

21.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 COP 3,831

$1.59 COP 5,142

-25.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 COP 1,849

$1.55 COP 5,007

-63.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 COP 10.9K

$9.38 COP 30.3K

-63.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,370

$1.30 COP 4,210

3.85%

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

$34.7K COP 112.2M

$35.1K COP 113.4M

-1.09%

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

$34.4K COP 111.0M

$34.8K COP 112.5M

-1.28%

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

$102 COP 328.2K

$125 COP 403.1K

-18.59%

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

$15.18 COP 49.0K

$12.18 COP 39.3K

24.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.67 COP 89.3K

$30.00 COP 96.9K

-7.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 COP 100.2K

$32.62 COP 105.3K

-4.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.43 COP 33.7K

Cinema Ticket

$5.11 COP 16.5K

$7.71 COP 24.9K

-33.72%

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

$404 COP 1.3M

$571 COP 1.8M

-29.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K COP 37.2M

$7,683 COP 24.8M

50.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 COP 268.8K

$85.7 COP 276.8K

-2.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 COP 139.7K

$49.01 COP 158.2K

-11.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 COP 374.5K

$146 COP 470.6K

-20.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 COP 323.1K

$108 COP 348.2K

-7.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 COP 2.3M

$392 COP 1.3M

81.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 COP 1.3M

$336 COP 1.1M

22.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,466 COP 4.7M

$1,092 COP 3.5M

34.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 COP 1.7M

$690 COP 2.2M

-21.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,750 COP 5.7M

$2,494 COP 8.1M

-29.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,488 COP 4.8M

$1,803 COP 5.8M

-17.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$589 COP 1.9M

$1,206 COP 3.9M

-51.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.88

15.67%

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

Last update for Cali: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manizales: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cali

$412 33.2%

Manizales

$336 28.5% 18.3% $75

Groceries & Markets

Cali

$271 21.9%

Manizales

$254 21.5% 6.4% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Cali

$154 12.4%

Manizales

$175 14.8% 13.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cali

$144 11.6%

Manizales

$167 14.2% 15.6% $23

Eating Out

Cali

$142 11.5%

Manizales

$131 11.1% 7.7% $11

Getting Around

Cali

$76 6.1%

Manizales

$69 5.8% 9.3% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Cali

$41 3.3%

Manizales

$48 4.1% 16.5% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $713 in Cali and $392 in Manizales. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manizales pays about 2 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57 in Cali vs $43 in Manizales for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $254 per month, with Manizales cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cali

🇨🇴 Manizales

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

Same time as Cali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,568,609

458,442

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Cali vs Manizales: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manizales is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Cali. 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: $713 in Cali versus $392 in Manizales. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $404 in Cali versus $571 in Manizales. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Cali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Manizales gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Manizales delivers better value at $1,181 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manizales hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Manizales gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Cali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.