Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,573 per month in Manchester vs $1,681 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,790 per month in Manchester vs $2,445 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,008 per month in Manchester vs $3,210 in Medellin, rent included.

Manchester costs about 53% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Manchester and Medellin sit above the global median – Manchester by 88%, Medellin by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.21 £15.13

$8.02 COP 25.3K

152.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.7 £70.9

$47.87 COP 151.0K

97.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.05

$9.89 COP 31.2K

8.70%

Cappuccino

$4.74 £3.55

$3.13 COP 9,873

51.44%

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

$2.55 £1.91

$1.91 COP 6,019

33.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.51 COP 4,763

10.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 £5.92

$3.12 COP 9,853

153.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 £5.09

$5.75 COP 18.1K

18.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.44 COP 4,558

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 £1.44

$2.49 COP 7,843

-22.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 £1.49

$1.77 COP 5,595

12.43%

Eggs

$3.80 £2.85

$2.96 COP 9,336

28.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.14 £6.85

$10.07 COP 31.8K

-9.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 £6.86

$10.12 COP 31.9K

-9.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 £11.92

$14.30 COP 45.1K

11.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

$4.14 COP 13.0K

-21.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.61 COP 5,073

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 £2.18

$2.25 COP 7,083

29.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 £2.64

$2.25 COP 7,104

56.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$2.04 COP 6,444

-25.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.54 COP 4,842

-11.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.17 COP 3,691

9.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 £0.97

$1.31 COP 4,121

-0.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.77 £17.80

$3.90 COP 12.3K

509.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 £8.39

$14.01 COP 44.2K

-19.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 £1.95

$1.74 COP 5,498

49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.42

$2.87 COP 9,053

12.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.98

$1.22 COP 3,834

117.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 £81.5

$80.5 COP 253.9K

35.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 £3.35

$1.31 COP 4,129

241.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 £1.67

$2.19 COP 6,899

1.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.87 £23.12

$8.71 COP 27.5K

254.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.58

$1.37 COP 4,306

54.01%

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

$39.6K £29.6K

$27.8K COP 87.8M

42.22%

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

$40.6K £30.4K

$35.8K COP 112.8M

13.42%

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

$294 £220

$177 COP 559.3K

65.59%

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

$16.69 £12.50

$13.88 COP 43.8K

20.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.09 £30.02

$29.72 COP 93.8K

34.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 £40.84

$44.88 COP 141.6K

21.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.12 £13.56

$17.12 COP 54.0K

5.84%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 £10.02

$6.65 COP 21.0K

101.20%

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

$1,275 £954

$813 COP 2.6M

56.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K £15.2K

$9,187 COP 29.0M

120.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 £63.6

$89.5 COP 282.3K

-5.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.46 £31.79

$59.0 COP 186.0K

-28.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 £71.5

$138 COP 435.9K

-30.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £79.9

$102 COP 322.1K

4.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 £1,354

$1,062 COP 3.3M

70.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 £947

$663 COP 2.1M

90.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 £2,338

$1,888 COP 6.0M

65.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 £1,488

$1,027 COP 3.2M

93.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,695 £3,515

$4,183 COP 13.2M

12.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,509 £3,376

$1,675 COP 5.3M

169.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,436 £2,572

$678 COP 2.1M

406.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

10.94

-55.48%

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

Last update for Manchester: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,809 in Manchester versus $1,062 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 407% higher in Manchester, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Manchester versus $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $303 in Manchester vs $305 in Medellin – so Manchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Manchester vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 53%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,860 per month in Manchester and $2,521 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,275 per month in Manchester and $813 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Manchester – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,681, than in Manchester at $2,573. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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