Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manaus and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Manaus: $931 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Manaus
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Manaus Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Manaus

🇧🇷 Brazil

$931

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $931 in Manaus versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Manaus $931
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,368 in Manaus versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Manaus $1,368
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,806 in Manaus versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Manaus $1,806
Medellin $3,186

Living in Manaus costs roughly 43% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manaus is 32% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 R$31.25

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-29.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.62 R$139

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-45.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 R$35.21

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-31.89%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.94

$3.01 COP 9,722

-27.24%

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

$0.99 R$5.39

$1.80 COP 5,801

-45.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 R$3.99

$1.41 COP 4,554

-48.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 R$13.83

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-20.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.05 R$27.45

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-12.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R$7.17

$1.51 COP 4,869

-12.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 R$8.38

$2.38 COP 7,667

-35.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.18

$1.77 COP 5,712

-35.59%

Eggs

$2.46 R$13.39

$2.89 COP 9,320

-14.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.14 R$49.72

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-10.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.82 R$20.75

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-61.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 R$36.43

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-52.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 R$12.15

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-43.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R$8.36

$1.55 COP 5,005

-0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.50

$2.18 COP 7,039

-36.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 R$10.00

$2.18 COP 7,041

-15.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.12

$1.96 COP 6,328

-42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 R$6.26

$1.59 COP 5,125

-27.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$4.10

$1.15 COP 3,694

-34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.40

$1.24 COP 4,009

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 R$18.25

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-15.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.46 R$46.04

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-38.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R$7.69

$1.66 COP 5,352

-15.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 R$8.49

$2.26 COP 7,281

-30.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.81

$1.17 COP 3,766

-24.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.80 R$200

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-52.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 R$4.99

$1.27 COP 4,089

-27.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 R$4.71

$2.05 COP 6,603

-57.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.99 R$48.91

$8.55 COP 27.6K

5.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.70

$1.35 COP 4,343

-8.89%

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

$21.6K R$117.7K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-36.49%

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

$32.4K R$176.2K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-6.57%

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

$112 R$608

$170 COP 547.0K

-34.16%

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

$14.44 R$78.6

$13.55 COP 43.7K

6.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 R$130

$28.07 COP 90.5K

-15.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$140

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-41.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.54 R$128

$17.19 COP 55.4K

36.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 R$34.84

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-7.24%

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

$212 R$1,152

$797 COP 2.6M

-73.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,775 R$26.0K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-47.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.41 R$258

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-44.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.69 R$162

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-48.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.3 R$306

$135 COP 435.2K

-58.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.9 R$348

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-34.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 R$4,064

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-38.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 R$1,625

$642 COP 2.1M

-53.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 R$6,100

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-44.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 R$2,454

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-55.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,543 R$8,391

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-63.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,257 R$6,840

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-34.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$491 R$2,669

$657 COP 2.1M

-25.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.33

10.94

-5.58%

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

Last update for Manaus: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manaus

$299 32.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 115% $343

Groceries & Markets

Manaus

$188 20.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 58% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manaus

$150 16.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 40.9% $61

Eating Out

Manaus

$121 13%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 39.7% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Manaus

$89 9.5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 90.3% $80

Getting Around

Manaus

$46 4.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 105% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Manaus

$38 4.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 49.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $747 in Manaus and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 34% 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: $26 in Manaus vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $297 per month, with Manaus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Manaus

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:05 4:05 AM

03:05 3:05 AM

1 h behind Manaus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,063,689

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.165 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.165 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,598 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Manaus Medellin 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Manaus
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

Manaus vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manaus is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Manaus. 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: $747 in Manaus versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% 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 $26 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Expats usually find Manaus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.