Cost of Living Comparison Between Manaus and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Manaus and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $867 in Manaus versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,347 in Manaus versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,828 in Manaus versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Manaus costs roughly 16% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manaus 35% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 R$26.67

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-9.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.32 R$126

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-22.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 R$31.23

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-12.92%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R$10.13

$1.70 COP 6,186

19.41%

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

$1.00 R$5.00

$1.10 COP 3,996

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 R$3.55

$0.72 COP 2,625

-1.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 R$12.36

$1.67 COP 6,067

48.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 R$24.33

$3.10 COP 11.3K

57.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.26

$1.06 COP 3,837

18.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 R$7.01

$1.25 COP 4,531

12.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.74

$1.39 COP 5,060

-17.27%

Eggs

$2.03 R$10.11

$2.26 COP 8,229

-10.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 R$48.43

$4.33 COP 15.8K

124.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 R$18.27

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-37.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 R$32.85

$8.83 COP 32.1K

-25.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 R$10.68

$2.24 COP 8,159

-4.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.56

$1.08 COP 3,911

40.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.41

$1.53 COP 5,563

-15.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.06

$1.37 COP 4,987

32.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.90

$1.13 COP 4,109

4.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.65

$1.12 COP 4,067

1.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 R$3.46

$0.85 COP 3,080

-17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 R$3.20

$0.91 COP 3,305

-29.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 R$17.60

$2.33 COP 8,477

51.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.98 R$44.72

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-19.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R$6.78

$1.19 COP 4,342

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 R$10.40

$2.37 COP 8,617

-11.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 R$3.92

$0.79 COP 2,859

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.32 R$176

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-14.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R$4.68

$1.44 COP 5,223

-34.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 R$3.33

$1.91 COP 6,952

-64.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 R$44.20

$8.02 COP 29.2K

10.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$5.99

$0.94 COP 3,410

27.66%

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

$19.7K R$98.3K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

10.20%

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

$22.7K R$112.9K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-15.41%

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

$106 R$530

$84.0 COP 305.4K

26.70%

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

$14.15 R$70.5

$9.60 COP 34.9K

47.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.95 R$114

$24.16 COP 87.9K

-5.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.09 R$115

$25.88 COP 94.1K

-10.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 R$116

$19.04 COP 69.3K

22.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.01 R$29.93

$3.92 COP 14.2K

53.32%

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

$202 R$1,007

$306 COP 1.1M

-33.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,758 R$23.7K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-19.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.65 R$227

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-21.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.97 R$144

$31.82 COP 115.7K

-8.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.2 R$270

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-45.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.3 R$315

$107 COP 389.7K

-40.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 R$1,953

$487 COP 1.8M

-19.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 R$1,185

$368 COP 1.3M

-35.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 R$3,318

$826 COP 3.0M

-19.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$493 R$2,456

$716 COP 2.6M

-31.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,761 R$8,772

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-39.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,310 R$6,524

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-6.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$529 R$2,634

$546 COP 2.0M

-3.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.83

13.43

-26.81%

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

Last update for Manaus: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $392 in Manaus and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 3% 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: $25.00 in Manaus vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $190 per month, with Manaus 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

Manaus vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manaus is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Medellin earns 3% less. 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: $392 in Manaus versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Manaus – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $867 in Manaus versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manaus but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Manaus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manaus 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.

Expats usually find Manaus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.