Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Manouba Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Manouba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $669 in Manouba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,059 in Manouba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,450 in Manouba.

Living in Medellin is roughly 151% more expensive than in Manouba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Manouba is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$3.40 TND 9.88

135.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$20.51 TND 59.7

133.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$6.23 TND 18.11

58.75%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$1.11 TND 3.24

181.98%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.66 TND 1.91

189.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.26 TND 0.75

480.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$1.68 TND 4.87

85.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.38 TND 6.94

141.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$0.51 TND 1.49

182.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$0.25 TND 0.73

896.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.35 TND 3.94

31.11%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.61 TND 4.69

83.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$10.39 TND 30.24

-3.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$5.69 TND 16.56

77.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$14.43 TND 41.97

-0.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.87 TND 5.43

121.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$3.26 TND 9.50

-50.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.11 TND 3.22

102.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$0.72 TND 2.09

212.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.84 TND 2.45

142.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.66 TND 1.91

133.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.53 TND 1.54

120.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.31 TND 0.90

322.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$3.67 TND 10.69

6.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$6.80 TND 19.79

106.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.21 TND 3.52

43.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$1.07 TND 3.12

168.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.36 TND 1.04

238.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$10.47 TND 30.45

668.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$0.30 TND 0.87

336.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.34 TND 0.99

544.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$1.82 TND 5.30

378.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$0.84 TND 2.45

63.10%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$37.4K TND 108.7K

-25.50%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$35.5K TND 103.2K

0.85%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$46.62 TND 136

280.31%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$9.00 TND 26.18

54.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$21.15 TND 61.5

40.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$27.49 TND 80.0

63.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$13.98 TND 40.67

22.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$5.60 TND 16.28

18.75%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$99.3 TND 289

718.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$2,561 TND 7,449

258.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$43.03 TND 125

107.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$36.28 TND 106

62.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$112 TND 325

23.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$68.2 TND 198

49.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$215 TND 627

393.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$161 TND 467

312.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$376 TND 1,093

402.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$281 TND 817

265.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$996 TND 2,897

320.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$641 TND 1,864

161.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.28

6.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Manouba: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $215 in Manouba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $21.00 in Manouba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $191 per month, with Manouba 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 Manouba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Manouba differ by about 151% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $669 including rent). Manouba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,003 in Manouba to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $215 in Manouba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Manouba – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $669 in Manouba versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manouba but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Manouba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Manouba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.