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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,606 in Manama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,517 in Manama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,428 in Manama.

Living in Medellin is roughly 5% more expensive than in Manama, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Manama 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$6.67 BHD 2.52

20.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$52.1 BHD 19.64

-8.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.30 BHD 2.75

35.48%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$4.82 BHD 1.82

-35.06%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.84 BHD 0.32

127.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.33 BHD 0.12

357.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$6.65 BHD 2.51

-53.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$9.84 BHD 3.71

-41.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.43 BHD 0.54

0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.06 BHD 0.40

134.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.30 BHD 0.87

-23.04%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.22 BHD 0.84

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.78 BHD 3.31

14.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$6.33 BHD 2.39

59.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.45 BHD 3.19

69.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.39 BHD 0.90

73.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.35 BHD 0.89

-31.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.88 BHD 0.71

19.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.44 BHD 0.54

56.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.06 BHD 0.40

92.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.43 BHD 0.54

7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.55 BHD 0.59

-24.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.78 BHD 0.29

67.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.18 BHD 1.95

-24.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$18.37 BHD 6.92

-23.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$3.47 BHD 1.31

-49.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.62 BHD 0.99

9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.64 BHD 0.24

90.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$37.78 BHD 14.24

113.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$5.38 BHD 2.03

-75.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$3.51 BHD 1.32

-37.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$15.79 BHD 5.95

-44.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.64 BHD 0.24

114.06%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$37.3K BHD 14.0K

-25.29%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$20.4K BHD 7,674

75.69%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$154 BHD 57.9

15.34%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$24.27 BHD 9.15

-42.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$34.61 BHD 13.04

-14.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$61.8 BHD 23.30

-27.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$30.54 BHD 11.51

-43.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$10.77 BHD 4.06

-38.25%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$495 BHD 187

64.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$10.9K BHD 4,096

-15.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$50.5 BHD 19.05

77.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$57.7 BHD 21.74

2.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$87.2 BHD 32.85

58.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$91.0 BHD 34.29

12.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$1,002 BHD 378

5.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$643 BHD 242

3.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$2,079 BHD 783

-9.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$1,381 BHD 521

-25.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,652 BHD 1,000

57.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,959 BHD 738

-14.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$2,273 BHD 857

-70.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.21

76.17%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Manama: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $1,002 in Manama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 235% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $52.0 in Manama. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $248, with Manama cheaper for home cooking.

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

Manama wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 235% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $1,002 in Manama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Manama runs roughly 113% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $495 in Manama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,606 in Manama versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manama but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Manama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Manama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,606 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manama 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 Manama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.