Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Manglaralto

For one person, living is cheaper in Manglaralto: $895 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Manglaralto, Ecuador
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Manglaralto
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$895
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Manglaralto

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Manglaralto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $895 in Manglaralto, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Manglaralto $895

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,456 in Manglaralto, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Manglaralto $1,456

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,018 in Manglaralto, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Manglaralto $2,018

Medellin costs about 83% more than Manglaralto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Manglaralto is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Manglaralto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$4.08 $4.08
98.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$52.2 $52.2
-9.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$9.18 $9.18
3.49%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$2.92 $2.92
3.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$0.93 $0.93
93.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$0.70 $0.70
101.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$2.93 $2.93
8.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$4.28 $4.28
34.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Manglaralto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$1.22 $1.22
23.77%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$1.91 $1.91
24.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$1.40 $1.40
26.43%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$2.04 $2.04
41.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$6.80 $6.80
49.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$5.05 $5.05
95.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$9.26 $9.26
51.08%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$1.51 $1.51
162.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$1.18 $1.18
31.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$1.02 $1.02
113.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$0.96 $0.96
127.08%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$1.28 $1.28
53.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$0.98 $0.98
62.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$0.83 $0.83
38.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$0.97 $0.97
27.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$5.87 $5.87
-32.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$11.99 $11.99
14.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$1.50 $1.50
10.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$2.20 $2.20
2.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Manglaralto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
$0.39 $0.39
200.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$2.69 $2.69
-52.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$1.79 $1.79
14.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$11.76 $11.76
-27.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$0.89 $0.89
51.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$22.7K $22.7K
50.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$30.7K $30.7K
13.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Manglaralto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$34.62 $34.62
390.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$9.91 $9.91
36.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$25.90 $25.90
8.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Manglaralto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
$30.39 $30.39
43.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
$15.84 $15.84
8.52%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$7.36 $7.36
-6.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Manglaralto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$376 $376
111.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$5,680 $5,680
60.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Manglaralto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$66.5 $66.5
27.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$41.25 $41.25
40.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$123 $123
10.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$92.1 $92.1
6.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Manglaralto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$466 $466
159.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$297 $297
115.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$850 $850
138.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$535 $535
89.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Manglaralto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
10.05
8.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manglaralto: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Manglaralto
$297 53.7% $344
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Manglaralto
$199 33.2% $98
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Manglaralto
$70 66.7% $141
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Manglaralto
$125 26.3% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Manglaralto
$145 14.2% $24
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Manglaralto
$13 * 85.9% $80
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Manglaralto
$45 21.6% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $466 in Manglaralto. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $52 in Manglaralto. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $199 in Manglaralto – so Manglaralto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇪🇨 Manglaralto
🕒 Local time
17:59 5:59 PM
17:59 5:59 PM
Same time as Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Manglaralto 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Manglaralto

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Manglaralto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Manglaralto cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,342 in Manglaralto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Manglaralto, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $466 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Manglaralto?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $52 in Manglaralto. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Manglaralto?
Groceries cost about 50% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Manglaralto?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manglaralto, where all-in costs run around $895, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Manglaralto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Manglaralto more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Manglaralto – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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