Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manizales and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Manizales: $1,181 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Manizales
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Manizales Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Manizales

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,181

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,181 per month in Manizales vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Manizales $1,181
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,863 per month in Manizales vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Manizales $1,863
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,546 per month in Manizales vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Manizales $2,546
Medellin $3,186

Manizales is about 28% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Manizales sits 13% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.09 COP 22.9K

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-12.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.81 COP 138.0K

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-9.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 COP 33.2K

$9.50 COP 30.6K

8.42%

Cappuccino

$1.75 COP 5,644

$3.01 COP 9,722

-41.86%

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

$1.34 COP 4,318

$1.80 COP 5,801

-25.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 2,735

$1.41 COP 4,554

-39.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 COP 5,739

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-44.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 COP 8,319

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-55.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 COP 2,444

$1.51 COP 4,869

-49.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 COP 7,931

$2.38 COP 7,667

3.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 COP 5,646

$1.77 COP 5,712

-1.13%

Eggs

$3.47 COP 11.2K

$2.89 COP 9,320

20.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 COP 26.9K

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-18.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.17 COP 23.1K

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-27.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 COP 30.9K

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-31.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 COP 11.3K

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-11.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 COP 5,977

$1.55 COP 5,005

19.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,504

$2.18 COP 7,039

-7.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,156

$2.18 COP 7,041

-12.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,804

$1.96 COP 6,328

-23.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,406

$1.59 COP 5,125

-13.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 COP 4,196

$1.15 COP 3,694

13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,682

$1.24 COP 4,009

-8.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 COP 14.4K

$3.96 COP 12.8K

12.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 COP 41.2K

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-6.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 COP 4,729

$1.66 COP 5,352

-11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.26 COP 7,281

38.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 COP 3,165

$1.17 COP 3,766

-16.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 COP 179.2K

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-28.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 COP 5,135

$1.27 COP 4,089

25.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 COP 5,000

$2.05 COP 6,603

-24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.38 COP 30.3K

$8.55 COP 27.6K

9.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,205

$1.35 COP 4,343

-3.70%

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

$35.1K COP 113.3M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

3.13%

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

$34.8K COP 112.3M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

0.49%

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

$125 COP 402.5K

$170 COP 547.0K

-26.42%

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

$12.18 COP 39.3K

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-10.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.00 COP 96.7K

$28.07 COP 90.5K

6.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.62 COP 105.2K

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-25.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 COP 24.9K

$6.91 COP 22.3K

11.58%

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

$571 COP 1.8M

$797 COP 2.6M

-28.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,683 COP 24.8M

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-15.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.7 COP 276.5K

$84.7 COP 273.2K

1.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.01 COP 158.0K

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-15.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 COP 470.0K

$135 COP 435.2K

7.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.7K

$97.9 COP 315.6K

10.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 COP 1.3M

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-67.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 COP 1.1M

$642 COP 2.1M

-47.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 COP 3.5M

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-46.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 COP 2.2M

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-31.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,494 COP 8.0M

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-40.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,803 COP 5.8M

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-5.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,206 COP 3.9M

$657 COP 2.1M

83.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.69%

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

Last update for Manizales: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manizales

$336 28.5%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 90.7% $305

Groceries & Markets

Manizales

$254 21.5%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 16.8% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Manizales

$175 14.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 3.3% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manizales

$167 14.2%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 26.5% $44

Eating Out

Manizales

$131 11.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 29% $38

Getting Around

Manizales

$69 5.8%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 35.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Manizales

$48 4.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 19.8% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $392 in Manizales versus $1,208 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 83% higher in Manizales, 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 $43 in Manizales versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $297 – making Manizales the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Manizales

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

Same time as Manizales

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

458,442

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Manizales vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,181 in Manizales, $1,639 in Medellin – Manizales comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,771 per month in Manizales and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manizales, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $392 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Manizales and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,181 in Manizales and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,181 in Manizales to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Manizales is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 28% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.