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: $1,156 in Manzanillo versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,789 in Manzanillo versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,423 in Manzanillo versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Manzanillo is roughly 14% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manzanillo 14% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.43 MX$179

$5.95 COP 20.8K

75.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.90 MX$616

$33.33 COP 116.3K

7.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 MX$189

$7.23 COP 25.2K

52.28%

Cappuccino

$2.91 MX$49.97

$1.63 COP 5,687

78.53%

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

$1.22 MX$20.88

$1.09 COP 3,821

11.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$21.91

$0.73 COP 2,548

75.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 MX$35.70

$1.74 COP 6,065

19.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 MX$63.7

$3.23 COP 11.3K

14.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.76

$1.05 COP 3,662

31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 MX$43.00

$1.29 COP 4,515

94.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 MX$22.98

$1.32 COP 4,617

1.52%

Eggs

$1.95 MX$33.50

$2.27 COP 7,927

-14.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.69 MX$115

$4.35 COP 15.2K

53.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 MX$92.9

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-7.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 MX$162

$8.61 COP 30.0K

9.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 MX$41.49

$2.25 COP 7,844

7.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.07 COP 3,733

33.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.07

$1.52 COP 5,322

-3.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.58

$1.42 COP 4,964

13.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 MX$42.63

$1.17 COP 4,084

111.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 MX$48.33

$1.17 COP 4,077

141.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 MX$34.24

$0.89 COP 3,096

123.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$19.49

$0.90 COP 3,146

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 MX$87.6

$2.25 COP 7,837

126.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.72 MX$115

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 MX$43.25

$1.14 COP 3,977

121.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 MX$42.12

$2.38 COP 8,301

2.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 MX$10.20

$0.84 COP 2,916

-29.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 MX$41.46

$1.41 COP 4,912

71.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.21

$1.90 COP 6,634

-16.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.43 MX$145

$7.75 COP 27.0K

8.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.71

$1.01 COP 3,509

30.69%

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

$21.0K MX$360.2K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

19.37%

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

$22.6K MX$388.6K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-14.54%

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

$124 MX$2,127

$83.7 COP 292.1K

48.11%

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

$15.96 MX$274

$9.45 COP 33.0K

68.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.65 MX$423

$24.11 COP 84.1K

2.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.68 MX$492

$25.31 COP 88.3K

13.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.90 MX$273

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-16.93%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 MX$67.8

$4.10 COP 14.3K

-3.66%

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

$52.7 MX$904

$312 COP 1.1M

-83.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,659 MX$62.8K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-38.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.13 MX$826

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-17.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.71 MX$493

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-11.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 MX$2,072

$99.6 COP 347.7K

21.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 MX$2,242

$109 COP 378.8K

20.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 MX$12.1K

$482 COP 1.7M

46.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 MX$6,875

$379 COP 1.3M

5.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$837 COP 2.9M

13.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 MX$13.2K

$723 COP 2.5M

6.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,874 MX$32.2K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-34.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,115 MX$19.1K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-8.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$396 MX$6,788

$541 COP 1.9M

-26.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.07

13.43

-17.57%

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

Last update for Manzanillo: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $704 in Manzanillo and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Manzanillo vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $190 per month, with Medellin 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 14% in total monthly costs ($1,156 vs $1,017 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Medellin earns 37% less. 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: $704 in Manzanillo versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Manzanillo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,156 per month in Manzanillo versus $1,017 in Medellin – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,156 in Manzanillo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Manzanillo. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Manzanillo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.