Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Manama Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Manama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,479 in Manama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $2,410 in Manama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $3,340 in Manama.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 30% less than in Manama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Manama is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$6.57 BHD 2.48

-6.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$52.0 BHD 19.60

-37.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$7.56 BHD 2.85

-2.91%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$5.46 BHD 2.06

-68.50%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.79 BHD 0.30

32.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.37 BHD 0.14

108.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$8.01 BHD 3.02

-78.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$10.46 BHD 3.94

-69.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.65 BHD 0.62

-36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.33 BHD 0.50

-2.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$2.34 BHD 0.88

-40.17%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$2.40 BHD 0.90

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$8.62 BHD 3.25

-49.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$7.50 BHD 2.83

-21.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.23 BHD 3.86

-15.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$2.45 BHD 0.92

-6.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$2.10 BHD 0.79

-47.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.70 BHD 0.64

-10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.17 BHD 0.44

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.92 BHD 0.35

22.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.08 BHD 0.41

4.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.44 BHD 0.54

-40.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.91 BHD 0.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$6.48 BHD 2.44

-63.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$18.75 BHD 7.07

-34.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$3.35 BHD 1.26

-64.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$3.14 BHD 1.18

-20.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.78 BHD 0.29

7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$32.29 BHD 12.17

25.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$4.66 BHD 1.76

-69.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$4.00 BHD 1.51

-52.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$26.04 BHD 9.81

-70.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.53 BHD 0.20

86.79%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$37.7K BHD 14.2K

-52.18%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$20.7K BHD 7,813

28.45%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$122 BHD 46.06

-33.88%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$26.99 BHD 10.17

-63.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$38.99 BHD 14.70

-37.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$71.4 BHD 26.90

-64.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$44.42 BHD 16.74

-56.89%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$10.53 BHD 3.97

-62.20%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$394 BHD 148

-22.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$8,780 BHD 3,309

-30.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$46.27 BHD 17.44

25.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$61.5 BHD 23.19

-47.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$82.8 BHD 31.21

21.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$89.4 BHD 33.71

20.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$803 BHD 303

-40.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$548 BHD 207

-31.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$1,794 BHD 676

-52.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$1,208 BHD 455

-39.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,668 BHD 1,006

20.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,960 BHD 739

-29.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$2,276 BHD 858

-72.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

8.56

56.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Manama: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $803 in Manama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 269% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $52.0 in Manama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $262 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

Medellin vs Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Manama. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 269% lower in Manama. 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: $477 in Medellin versus $803 in Manama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 26% less than in Manama. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $394 in Manama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,479 in Manama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Manama. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Manama are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Manama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.