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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $836 in Manaus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,332 in Manaus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,827 in Manaus.

Living in Medellin is roughly 20% more expensive than in Manaus, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Manaus 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.4K

$5.42 R$27.49

9.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 102.7K

$25.50 R$129

29.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.1K

$6.37 R$32.32

16.64%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,153

$2.10 R$10.66

-21.43%

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

$1.10 COP 3,432

$1.03 R$5.23

6.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,433

$0.71 R$3.58

9.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,356

$2.46 R$12.49

-30.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 9,904

$4.94 R$25.06

-35.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,439

$1.32 R$6.72

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,921

$1.39 R$7.05

-9.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,304

$1.15 R$5.84

20.00%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,788

$2.10 R$10.64

3.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.0K

$9.68 R$49.06

-53.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.0K

$3.55 R$17.98

63.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 27.9K

$6.42 R$32.54

39.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,232

$2.21 R$11.19

4.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,318

$1.57 R$7.97

-32.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,725

$1.23 R$6.25

23.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,226

$1.80 R$9.14

-24.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,515

$1.18 R$5.96

-4.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.13 R$5.75

3.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,809

$0.66 R$3.32

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,794

$0.61 R$3.10

47.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 6,961

$3.63 R$18.43

-38.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 37.8K

$8.85 R$44.89

36.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,704

$1.39 R$7.02

-14.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,735

$2.02 R$10.23

22.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,660

$0.83 R$4.21

2.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 129.7K

$35.96 R$182

15.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,413

$0.86 R$4.37

65.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,078

$0.70 R$3.54

178.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.6K

$8.52 R$43.20

-7.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,086

$1.15 R$5.84

-13.91%

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

$17.6K COP 54.8M

$19.9K R$101.1K

-11.70%

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

$26.8K COP 83.5M

$22.6K R$114.5K

18.66%

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

$83.0 COP 258.7K

$106 R$539

-21.88%

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

$9.70 COP 30.2K

$13.94 R$70.7

-30.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 73.3K

$22.74 R$115

3.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 78.7K

$23.00 R$117

9.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 59.5K

$23.14 R$117

-17.46%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.3K

$5.94 R$30.11

-33.50%

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

$316 COP 984.0K

$202 R$1,023

56.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.6M

$4,606 R$23.4K

29.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 187.0K

$45.26 R$229

32.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 99.1K

$29.40 R$149

8.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 316.8K

$54.1 R$274

87.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 334.8K

$64.2 R$325

67.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$390 R$1,976

21.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$240 R$1,217

55.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.6M

$664 R$3,366

27.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.2M

$503 R$2,553

42.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.2M

$1,756 R$8,903

85.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,316 R$6,675

9.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 1.9M

$506 R$2,564

23.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.83

36.62%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Manaus: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $390 in Manaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 23% 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 $25.00 in Manaus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $185 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, Getting Around. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $475 in Medellin versus $390 in Manaus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 $25.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $836 in Manaus versus $1,003 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 20% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.