Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manteca, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,780 in Manteca, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Manteca, CA, United States
Medellin, Colombia
Manteca, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,780
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,780 per month in Manteca, CA vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Manteca, CA $2,780
  • Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $3,936 per month in Manteca, CA vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Manteca, CA $3,936
  • Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $5,091 per month in Manteca, CA vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Manteca, CA $5,091
  • Medellin $3,249

Manteca, CA costs about 64% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manteca, CA and Medellin sit above the global median – Manteca, CA by 106%, Medellin by 25%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Manteca, CA
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.03 $14.03
$8.34 COP 26.9K
68.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.43 $35.43
$46.53 COP 150.1K
-23.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.03 $12.03
$9.47 COP 30.5K
27.03%
Cappuccino
$5.69 $5.69
$3.13 COP 10.1K
81.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 $3.10
$1.77 COP 5,696
75.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$1.42 COP 4,594
73.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.15 $9.15
$3.15 COP 10.2K
190.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.94 $9.94
$5.70 COP 18.4K
74.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Manteca, CA
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 $1.64
$1.53 COP 4,943
7.19%
White Bread (500g)
$4.39 $4.39
$2.29 COP 7,389
91.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.16 $4.16
$1.94 COP 6,273
114.43%
Eggs
$5.87 $5.87
$3.07 COP 9,889
91.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.76 $19.76
$9.99 COP 32.2K
97.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.18 $14.18
$10.45 COP 33.7K
35.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.64 $21.64
$13.96 COP 45.0K
55.01%
Apples (1kg)
$5.00 $5.00
$4.05 COP 13.1K
23.46%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 $1.94
$1.53 COP 4,929
26.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.35 $5.35
$2.10 COP 6,786
154.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.48 $5.48
$2.29 COP 7,397
139.30%
Potato (1kg)
$3.51 $3.51
$2.11 COP 6,803
66.35%
Onion (1kg)
$2.89 $2.89
$1.71 COP 5,512
69.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.38 $2.38
$1.17 COP 3,774
103.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.56 $2.56
$1.58 COP 5,096
62.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.66 $11.66
$3.91 COP 12.6K
198.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.67 $15.67
$14.04 COP 45.3K
11.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.52 $2.52
$1.76 COP 5,682
43.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38 $3.38
$2.71 COP 8,746
24.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Manteca, CA
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.18 COP 3,805
72.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.6 $54.6
$76.3 COP 246.0K
-28.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.46 $3.46
$1.81 COP 5,827
91.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.01 $3.01
$2.13 COP 6,867
41.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.44 $29.44
$8.13 COP 26.2K
262.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.28 COP 4,113
20.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.6K $37.6K
$34.4K COP 111.1M
9.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K $25.9K
$34.1K COP 110.1M
-24.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manteca, CA
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$273 $273
$178 COP 573.2K
53.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$47.67 $47.67
$13.89 COP 44.8K
243.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$81.7 $81.7
$30.74 COP 99.1K
165.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Manteca, CA
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.43 $44.43
$41.94 COP 135.3K
5.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.80 COP 54.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.07 $16.07
$7.47 COP 24.1K
115.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Manteca, CA
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,784 $1,784
$790 COP 2.5M
125.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.6K $20.6K
$12.3K COP 39.7M
67.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Manteca, CA
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.7 $58.7
$86.3 COP 278.4K
-32.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.7 $51.7
$59.3 COP 191.1K
-12.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 $102
$138 COP 446.2K
-26.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 $119
$98.8 COP 318.7K
20.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Manteca, CA
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,583 $1,583
$1,341 COP 4.3M
18.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,278 $1,278
$667 COP 2.2M
91.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,606 $2,606
$1,976 COP 6.4M
31.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,089 $2,089
$1,033 COP 3.3M
102.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,083 $3,083
$4,098 COP 13.2M
-24.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,184 $2,184
$1,940 COP 6.3M
12.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Manteca, CA
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,294 $5,294
$646 COP 2.1M
719.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.83
10.94
-37.57%

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

Last update for Manteca, CA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Manteca, CA
$1.3K
Medellin
$667 47.8% $610
Groceries & Markets
Manteca, CA
$488
Medellin
$307 37% $181
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manteca, CA
$403
Medellin
$222 44.8% $180
Eating Out
Manteca, CA
$305
Medellin
$173 43.3% $132
Clothing & Footwear
Manteca, CA
$149
Medellin
$172 15.3% $23
Getting Around
Manteca, CA
$81
Medellin
$93 15% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Manteca, CA
$77
Medellin
$57 25.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,583 in Manteca, CA versus $1,341 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 in Manteca, CA are about 8.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Manteca, CA versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $488 in Manteca, CA vs $307 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Manteca, CA
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
21:25 9:25 PM
00:25 12:25 AM
3 h ahead of Manteca, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
81,592
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,631 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Manteca, CA Medellin 5,780 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Manteca, CA
  • 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
Manteca, CA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Manteca, CA?
Yes – Manteca, CA is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,170 per month in Manteca, CA and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,341 there versus $1,583 in Manteca, CA.
What are total monthly expenses in Manteca, CA and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,780 in Manteca, CA and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 39% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 28% less in Manteca, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Manteca, CA or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Manteca, CA at $2,780. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manteca, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Manteca, CA or Medellin more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manteca, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Manteca, CA vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?