Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manizales and Chengdu

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $741 a month against $1,275 in Manizales, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Manizales
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Manizales Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
Learn more

Chengdu Living Index

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Manizales

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,275

/mo nomad

Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manizales and in Chengdu

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

A single person spends $1,275 per month in Manizales vs $741 in Chengdu, rent included.

Manizales $1,275
Chengdu $741

A couple spends around $1,924 per month in Manizales vs $1,204 in Chengdu, rent included.

Manizales $1,924
Chengdu $1,204

A family of three spends $2,573 per month in Manizales vs $1,667 in Chengdu, rent included.

Manizales $2,573
Chengdu $1,667

Manizales costs about 72% more than Chengdu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Manizales and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Manizales 6% lower, Chengdu 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.21 COP 19.7K

$2.80 ¥18.72

121.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.01 COP 133.2K

$22.37 ¥150

87.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 COP 32.5K

$4.91 ¥32.85

108.55%

Cappuccino

$2.45 COP 7,753

$2.88 ¥19.28

-14.93%

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

$1.37 COP 4,352

$0.50 ¥3.37

174.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 2,744

$0.28 ¥1.88

210.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 COP 5,000

$1.53 ¥10.21

3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 COP 8,003

$2.19 ¥14.61

15.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 COP 5,160

$1.90 ¥12.73

-14.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 COP 7,658

$1.50 ¥10.02

61.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,411

$0.99 ¥6.62

72.73%

Eggs

$3.39 COP 10.8K

$1.56 ¥10.42

117.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 COP 25.8K

$14.54 ¥97.2

-44.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 COP 22.7K

$3.66 ¥24.48

95.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 COP 31.4K

$11.19 ¥74.8

-11.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 COP 10.9K

$1.85 ¥12.40

85.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 COP 5,860

$1.37 ¥9.19

35.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,072

$1.09 ¥7.28

75.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 COP 5,462

$1.16 ¥7.74

48.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 COP 4,470

$0.70 ¥4.70

101.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,507

$0.72 ¥4.84

97.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 COP 4,125

$0.62 ¥4.16

109.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,619

$0.54 ¥3.64

111.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 COP 14.3K

$3.72 ¥24.89

20.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.32 COP 39.1K

$4.58 ¥30.61

169.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,467

$0.82 ¥5.49

71.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 COP 9,234

$1.48 ¥9.86

96.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 COP 3,146

$0.43 ¥2.88

130.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.50 ¥164

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 COP 4,856

$1.30 ¥8.71

17.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 COP 4,908

$0.29 ¥1.94

434.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.27 COP 29.4K

$4.46 ¥29.85

107.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,269

$1.32 ¥8.81

2.27%

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

$23.2K COP 73.7M

$19.6K ¥130.9K

18.69%

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

$34.9K COP 110.5M

$17.4K ¥116.1K

100.79%

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

$121 COP 384.5K

$47.19 ¥316

156.98%

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

$11.79 COP 37.4K

$9.21 ¥61.6

28.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.70 COP 94.2K

$12.45 ¥83.2

138.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.38 COP 150.2K

$26.80 ¥179

76.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.39 ¥76.2

Cinema Ticket

$8.03 COP 25.5K

$6.08 ¥40.62

32.07%

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

$501 COP 1.6M

$379 ¥2,534

32.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,403 COP 23.5M

$14.8K ¥99.0K

-50.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.6K

$25.28 ¥169

235.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.88 COP 151.8K

$27.77 ¥186

72.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 COP 450.7K

$56.9 ¥381

149.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 341.7K

$52.6 ¥352

104.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 COP 1.5M

$464 ¥3,103

0.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 COP 1.5M

$248 ¥1,659

90.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 COP 2.6M

$813 ¥5,436

1.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$799 COP 2.5M

$533 ¥3,565

49.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,064 COP 6.5M

$3,762 ¥25.2K

-45.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,059 COP 6.5M

$1,902 ¥12.7K

8.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,197 COP 3.8M

$1,252 ¥8,368

-4.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

255.03%

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

Last update for Manizales: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manizales

$473 37.1%

Chengdu

$248 33.5% 47.5% $225

Groceries & Markets

Manizales

$259 20.3%

Chengdu

$196 26.5% 24.2% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Manizales

$172 13.5%

Chengdu

$73 9.9% 57.5% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manizales

$163 12.8%

Chengdu

$69 9.3% 57.7% $94

Eating Out

Manizales

$132 10.3%

Chengdu

$87 11.7% 34% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Manizales

$63 5%

Chengdu

$39 5.3% 38.6% $24

Getting Around

Manizales

$13 * 1%

Chengdu

$29 3.9% 119% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $467 in Manizales versus $464 in Chengdu. 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 5% higher in Chengdu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Manizales versus $22.00 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $259 vs $196 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Manizales

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

00:12 12:12 AM

13 h ahead of Manizales

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

458,442

20,937,757

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Manizales Chengdu 16,040 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Manizales
Chengdu

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

Manizales vs Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,275 in Manizales, $741 in Chengdu – roughly 72% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,912 per month in Manizales and $1,112 in Chengdu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Manizales and $22.00 in Chengdu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Manizales, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chengdu, where all-in costs run around $741, than in Manizales at $1,275. In Chengdu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manizales it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manizales has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $741 in Chengdu to $1,275 in Manizales. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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