Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manakara and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
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Manakara Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

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Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manakara and in Medellin

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

A single person spends $397 per month in Manakara vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Manakara $397
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $610 per month in Manakara vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Manakara $610
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $822 per month in Manakara vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Manakara $822
Medellin $3,186

Manakara is about 76% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Manakara sits 71% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

$8.09 COP 25.6K

-72.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.74 MGA 67.5K

$47.05 COP 148.9K

-68.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.58 MGA 16.4K

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-62.32%

Cappuccino

$1.14 MGA 5,205

$3.01 COP 9,540

-62.13%

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

$0.61 MGA 2,771

$1.80 COP 5,693

-66.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 MGA 2,424

$1.41 COP 4,469

-62.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 MGA 5,424

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-62.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 MGA 6,721

$5.75 COP 18.2K

-74.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MGA 8,161

$1.51 COP 4,778

17.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MGA 4,685

$2.38 COP 7,524

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 MGA 3,057

$1.77 COP 5,606

-62.15%

Eggs

$2.28 MGA 10.4K

$2.89 COP 9,146

-21.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.56 MGA 30.0K

$10.19 COP 32.2K

-35.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 MGA 15.6K

$9.87 COP 31.2K

-65.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.60 MGA 16.5K

$13.99 COP 44.3K

-74.27%

Apples (1kg)

$0.95 MGA 4,365

$3.97 COP 12.6K

-76.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 MGA 3,304

$1.55 COP 4,911

-53.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.37 MGA 1,696

$2.18 COP 6,907

-83.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 MGA 3,265

$2.18 COP 6,910

-67.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MGA 2,679

$1.96 COP 6,210

-70.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,203

$1.59 COP 5,029

-55.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MGA 1,584

$1.15 COP 3,625

-69.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MGA 2,903

$1.24 COP 3,934

-49.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.36 MGA 6,248

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-65.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.34 MGA 19.9K

$13.68 COP 43.3K

-68.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MGA 4,858

$1.66 COP 5,252

-36.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MGA 5,707

$2.26 COP 7,145

-44.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 MGA 961

$1.17 COP 3,696

-82.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.72 MGA 159.0K

$77.4 COP 244.8K

-55.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MGA 5,152

$1.27 COP 4,013

-11.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 MGA 10.4K

$2.05 COP 6,480

10.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 MGA 15.2K

$8.55 COP 27.1K

-61.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 MGA 5,111

$1.35 COP 4,262

-17.04%

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

$15.2K MGA 69.6M

$34.1K COP 107.8M

-55.38%

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

$20.7K MGA 94.7M

$34.7K COP 109.7M

-40.39%

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

$42.29 MGA 193.7K

$170 COP 536.8K

-75.07%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 MGA 245.6K

$28.07 COP 88.8K

91.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.63 MGA 53.3K

$43.70 COP 138.3K

-73.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

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

$22.17 MGA 101.5K

$797 COP 2.5M

-97.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.20 MGA 74.2K

$84.7 COP 268.1K

-80.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.07 MGA 91.9K

$58.0 COP 183.4K

-65.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.60 MGA 204.3K

$135 COP 427.1K

-66.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.80 MGA 200.6K

$97.9 COP 309.7K

-55.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$115 MGA 527.9K

$657 COP 2.1M

-82.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

119.38%

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

Last update for Manakara: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Manakara

$130 32.7%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 128% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manakara

$96 * 24.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 120% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Manakara

$56 14.1%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 201% $113

Eating Out

Manakara

$56 14%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 205% $114

Getting Around

Manakara

$48 12.1%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 94.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Manakara

$12 * 2.9%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 395% $46

Accommodation & Living

Manakara

- * 0%

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Medellin are about 5.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Manakara versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $130 vs $297 – making Manakara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Manakara

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:18 11:18 AM

03:18 3:18 AM

8 h behind Manakara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,237

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4,580 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,111 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manakara Medellin 13,720 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Manakara
Medellin

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

Manakara vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 313%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $596 per month in Manakara and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $22 per month in Manakara and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 128% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manakara, where all-in costs run around $397, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Manakara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $397 in Manakara to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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