Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Manzanillo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Manzanillo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,315 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,334 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,353 in Manzanillo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 28% more expensive than in Manzanillo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Manzanillo is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$11.56 MX$199

-30.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$35.59 MX$613

34.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$11.71 MX$202

-15.54%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$3.62 MX$62.3

-13.54%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$1.35 MX$23.18

41.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$1.32 MX$22.76

14.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$2.58 MX$44.49

20.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$4.71 MX$81.1

22.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.48 MX$25.57

-2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$2.84 MX$48.83

-12.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.53 MX$26.40

15.69%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$2.27 MX$39.05

30.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$7.03 MX$121

43.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$5.84 MX$101

73.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$11.40 MX$196

25.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$3.00 MX$51.7

38.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.63 MX$28.05

-1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.62 MX$27.83

38.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.63 MX$28.03

38.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$2.71 MX$46.65

-24.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.86 MX$32.11

-17.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$2.29 MX$39.48

-48.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$1.41 MX$24.35

-7.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$6.19 MX$107

-37.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$11.53 MX$199

21.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$2.47 MX$42.47

-29.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.66 MX$45.86

7.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.82 MX$14.07

48.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$2.67 MX$45.95

-50.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$2.73 MX$46.95

-19.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$11.82 MX$204

-26.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.53 MX$26.28

-10.46%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$22.2K MX$382.1K

25.42%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$25.9K MX$446.8K

37.85%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$69.6 MX$1,198

154.85%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$21.67 MX$373

-35.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$34.28 MX$590

-13.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$69.2 MX$1,192

-35.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$35.61 MX$613

-51.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$4.64 MX$79.9

43.32%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$208 MX$3,580

291.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$46.15 MX$795

93.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$30.86 MX$531

91.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$83.3 MX$1,434

65.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$143 MX$2,470

-28.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$709 MX$12.2K

49.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$486 MX$8,370

36.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,664 MX$28.6K

13.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$1,450 MX$25.0K

-29.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

$396 MX$6,818

71.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.3

-3.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $709 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 71% 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 $36.00 in Manzanillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $261 per month, with Manzanillo 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 Manzanillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Manzanillo differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,315 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 71% 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 $709 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,315 in Manzanillo – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,315 in Manzanillo versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manzanillo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Manzanillo 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 Manzanillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.