Cost of Living Comparison Between Manzanillo and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Manzanillo and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,315 in Manzanillo versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Manzanillo versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,353 in Manzanillo versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Manzanillo costs roughly 22% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manzanillo is 4% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.56 MX$199

$8.02 COP 25.4K

44.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.59 MX$613

$47.87 COP 152.0K

-25.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 MX$202

$9.89 COP 31.4K

18.40%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$62.3

$3.13 COP 9,937

15.65%

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

$1.35 MX$23.18

$1.91 COP 6,058

-29.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.76

$1.51 COP 4,794

-12.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$44.49

$3.12 COP 9,917

-17.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$81.1

$5.75 COP 18.3K

-18.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$25.57

$1.44 COP 4,587

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 MX$48.83

$2.49 COP 7,894

14.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MX$26.40

$1.77 COP 5,631

-13.56%

Eggs

$2.27 MX$39.05

$2.96 COP 9,396

-23.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.03 MX$121

$10.07 COP 32.0K

-30.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 MX$101

$10.12 COP 32.1K

-42.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.40 MX$196

$14.30 COP 45.4K

-20.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$51.7

$4.14 COP 13.1K

-27.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.05

$1.61 COP 5,106

1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 MX$27.83

$2.25 COP 7,129

-28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.03

$2.25 COP 7,150

-27.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.65

$2.04 COP 6,486

32.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.11

$1.54 COP 4,873

20.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 MX$39.48

$1.17 COP 3,715

95.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 MX$24.35

$1.31 COP 4,148

7.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 MX$107

$3.90 COP 12.4K

58.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 MX$199

$14.01 COP 44.5K

-17.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 MX$42.47

$1.74 COP 5,534

41.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$45.86

$2.87 COP 9,112

-7.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.07

$1.22 COP 3,858

-32.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 MX$45.95

$1.31 COP 4,155

103.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 MX$46.95

$2.19 COP 6,944

24.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.82 MX$204

$8.71 COP 27.7K

35.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$26.28

$1.37 COP 4,334

11.68%

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

$22.2K MX$382.1K

$27.8K COP 88.4M

-20.27%

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

$25.9K MX$446.8K

$35.8K COP 113.6M

-27.46%

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

$69.6 MX$1,198

$177 COP 562.9K

-60.76%

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

$21.67 MX$373

$13.88 COP 44.1K

56.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 MX$590

$29.72 COP 94.4K

15.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.2 MX$1,192

$44.88 COP 142.5K

54.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.61 MX$613

$17.12 COP 54.4K

108.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.64 MX$79.9

$6.65 COP 21.1K

-30.23%

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

$208 MX$3,580

$813 COP 2.6M

-74.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.15 MX$795

$89.5 COP 284.1K

-48.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.86 MX$531

$59.0 COP 187.2K

-47.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 MX$1,434

$138 COP 438.8K

-39.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 MX$2,470

$102 COP 324.2K

40.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.2K

$1,062 COP 3.4M

-33.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 MX$8,370

$663 COP 2.1M

-26.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 MX$28.6K

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-11.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 MX$25.0K

$1,027 COP 3.3M

41.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$396 MX$6,818

$678 COP 2.2M

-41.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.94

3.29%

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

Last update for Manzanillo: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $709 in Manzanillo and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 71% 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: $36.00 in Manzanillo vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $305 per month, with Manzanillo cheaper across the board.

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

Manzanillo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manzanillo and Medellin differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,315 vs $1,681 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Medellin. 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: $709 in Manzanillo versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,315 per month in Manzanillo versus $1,681 in Medellin – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,315 in Manzanillo versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manzanillo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Manzanillo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Manzanillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.