Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Manizales

For one person, living is cheaper in Manizales: $1,181 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Manizales
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Manizales Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Manizales

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,181

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Manizales

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 Manizales actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,181 in Manizales, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Manizales $1,181

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,863 in Manizales, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Manizales $1,863

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,546 in Manizales, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Manizales $2,546

Medellin costs about 39% more than Manizales, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Manizales is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$7.09 COP 22.9K

14.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$42.81 COP 138.2K

9.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$10.30 COP 33.3K

-7.77%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$1.75 COP 5,651

72.00%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.34 COP 4,324

34.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.85 COP 2,739

65.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.78 COP 5,746

78.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.58 COP 8,330

122.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$0.76 COP 2,447

98.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$2.46 COP 7,941

-3.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.75 COP 5,653

1.14%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$3.47 COP 11.2K

-16.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.35 COP 27.0K

22.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$7.17 COP 23.1K

37.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$9.59 COP 31.0K

45.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.50 COP 11.3K

13.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.85 COP 5,985

-16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$2.02 COP 6,512

7.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$1.91 COP 6,164

14.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$1.49 COP 4,810

31.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.37 COP 4,411

16.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.30 COP 4,201

-11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.14 COP 3,686

8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.47 COP 14.4K

-11.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$12.78 COP 41.3K

7.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.47 COP 4,735

12.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-27.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.98 COP 3,169

19.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$55.6 COP 179.4K

39.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.59 COP 5,141

-20.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$1.55 COP 5,006

32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$9.38 COP 30.3K

-8.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.30 COP 4,210

3.85%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$35.1K COP 113.4M

-3.03%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$34.8K COP 112.5M

-0.49%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$125 COP 403.0K

35.90%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$12.18 COP 39.3K

11.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$30.00 COP 96.9K

-6.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$32.62 COP 105.3K

33.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$7.71 COP 24.9K

-10.38%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$571 COP 1.8M

39.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$7,683 COP 24.8M

18.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$85.7 COP 276.8K

-1.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$49.01 COP 158.2K

18.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$146 COP 470.6K

-7.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$108 COP 348.1K

-9.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$392 COP 1.3M

208.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$336 COP 1.1M

90.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,092 COP 3.5M

85.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$690 COP 2.2M

46.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,494 COP 8.1M

67.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,803 COP 5.8M

5.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,206 COP 3.9M

-45.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-8.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manizales: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Manizales

$336 28.5% 47.6% $305

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Manizales

$254 21.5% 14.4% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Manizales

$167 14.2% 20.9% $44

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Manizales

$131 11.1% 22.5% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Manizales

$175 14.8% 3.4% $5.8

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Manizales

$69 5.8% 26.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Manizales

$48 4.1% 16.5% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $392 in Manizales. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 83% higher in Manizales, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $43 in Manizales. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $254 – making Manizales the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇴 Manizales

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

458,442

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Manizales: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $1,181 in Manizales – Manizales comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,771 in Manizales. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manizales, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $392 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $43 in Manizales. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,181 in Manizales, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,181 in Manizales to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Manizales is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 28% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.