Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,479 in Manama versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,410 in Manama versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,340 in Manama versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Manama is roughly 43% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manama is 11% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.57 BHD 2.48

$6.16 COP 20.0K

6.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 BHD 19.60

$32.60 COP 106.0K

59.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.56 BHD 2.85

$7.34 COP 23.9K

3.00%

Cappuccino

$5.46 BHD 2.06

$1.72 COP 5,592

217.44%

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

$0.79 BHD 0.30

$1.05 COP 3,416

-24.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 BHD 0.14

$0.77 COP 2,511

-51.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.01 BHD 3.02

$1.69 COP 5,480

373.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.46 BHD 3.94

$3.17 COP 10.3K

229.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 BHD 0.62

$1.05 COP 3,418

57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 BHD 0.50

$1.30 COP 4,230

2.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 BHD 0.88

$1.40 COP 4,538

67.14%

Eggs

$2.40 BHD 0.90

$2.16 COP 7,037

11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 BHD 3.25

$4.39 COP 14.3K

96.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.50 BHD 2.83

$5.88 COP 19.1K

27.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.23 BHD 3.86

$8.64 COP 28.1K

18.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 BHD 0.92

$2.28 COP 7,415

7.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 BHD 0.79

$1.11 COP 3,599

89.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 BHD 0.64

$1.53 COP 4,976

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 BHD 0.44

$1.35 COP 4,405

-13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 BHD 0.35

$1.13 COP 3,669

-18.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 BHD 0.41

$1.13 COP 3,687

-4.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 BHD 0.54

$0.85 COP 2,749

69.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 BHD 0.34

$0.91 COP 2,971

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.48 BHD 2.44

$2.34 COP 7,619

176.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.75 BHD 7.07

$12.37 COP 40.2K

51.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 BHD 1.26

$1.20 COP 3,904

179.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 BHD 1.18

$2.49 COP 8,094

26.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 BHD 0.29

$0.84 COP 2,724

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.29 BHD 12.17

$40.57 COP 131.9K

-20.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 BHD 1.76

$1.42 COP 4,617

228.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.00 BHD 1.51

$1.92 COP 6,227

108.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.04 BHD 9.81

$7.66 COP 24.9K

239.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 BHD 0.20

$0.99 COP 3,219

-46.46%

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

$37.7K BHD 14.2K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

109.10%

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

$20.7K BHD 7,813

$26.6K COP 86.6M

-22.15%

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

$122 BHD 46.06

$80.8 COP 262.7K

51.23%

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

$26.99 BHD 10.17

$9.95 COP 32.3K

171.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.99 BHD 14.70

$24.18 COP 78.6K

61.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 BHD 26.90

$25.08 COP 81.5K

184.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.42 BHD 16.74

$19.15 COP 62.3K

131.96%

Cinema Ticket

$10.53 BHD 3.97

$3.98 COP 13.0K

164.57%

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

$394 BHD 148

$305 COP 992.2K

29.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,780 BHD 3,309

$6,059 COP 19.7M

44.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.27 BHD 17.44

$58.1 COP 189.0K

-20.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.5 BHD 23.19

$32.20 COP 104.7K

91.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 BHD 31.21

$101 COP 327.5K

-17.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 BHD 33.71

$108 COP 350.3K

-17.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 BHD 303

$477 COP 1.5M

68.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 BHD 207

$376 COP 1.2M

45.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,794 BHD 676

$845 COP 2.7M

112.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 BHD 455

$730 COP 2.4M

65.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,668 BHD 1,006

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-17.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,960 BHD 739

$1,372 COP 4.5M

42.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,276 BHD 858

$617 COP 2.0M

268.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.56

13.43

-36.26%

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

Last update for Manama: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $803 in Manama and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 269% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Manama vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $193 per month, with Medellin 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

Manama vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Manama. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 269% higher in Manama, 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: $803 in Manama versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 26% less than in Manama. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $394 in Manama versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,479 in Manama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Manama. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manama and Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Manama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.