Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Manaus Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Manaus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $886 in Manaus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,399 in Manaus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,913 in Manaus.

Living in Medellin is roughly 90% more expensive than in Manaus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Manaus is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.70 R$29.39

40.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$27.35 R$141

75.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.69 R$34.46

47.83%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.28 R$11.73

37.28%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.05 R$5.43

81.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.78 R$4.04

93.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.68 R$13.78

16.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$5.28 R$27.21

8.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.38 R$7.12

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.55 R$7.98

60.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.26 R$6.49

40.48%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.59 R$13.32

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$9.71 R$50.0

3.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.81 R$19.65

165.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$7.03 R$36.23

103.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.33 R$12.00

77.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.63 R$8.40

-1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.42 R$7.31

58.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.97 R$10.14

14.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.21 R$6.24

68.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.20 R$6.18

28.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.74 R$3.80

58.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.63 R$3.25

107.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.61 R$18.61

8.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$8.78 R$45.22

59.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.41 R$7.27

23.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.63 R$8.40

76.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.87 R$4.50

40.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$38.18 R$197

110.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.95 R$4.88

37.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.84 R$4.34

160.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$9.58 R$49.37

-9.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.32 R$6.81

3.79%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$23.2K R$119.5K

20.04%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$32.0K R$164.8K

11.84%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$115 R$591

54.48%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$15.37 R$79.2

-9.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$24.52 R$126

21.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$25.29 R$130

77.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$24.22 R$125

-29.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$6.20 R$31.97

7.26%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$219 R$1,127

271.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$5,047 R$26.0K

82.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$49.48 R$255

80.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$31.09 R$160

89.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$58.4 R$301

136.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$69.0 R$356

47.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$620 R$3,196

71.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$210 R$1,081

215.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$924 R$4,762

104.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$477 R$2,459

115.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,700 R$8,756

146.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,293 R$6,662

29.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$517 R$2,663

31.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.33

5.91%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Manaus: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $620 in Manaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 31% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Manaus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $195 per month, with Manaus 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 Manaus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manaus is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $620 in Manaus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Manaus – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $886 in Manaus versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manaus but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Manaus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manaus is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Manaus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.