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: $1,618 in Medellin versus $1,192 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,460 in Medellin versus $1,515 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,302 in Medellin versus $1,837 in Manzanillo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 36% more expensive than in Manzanillo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Manzanillo is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 COP 24.6K

$11.48 MX$198

-33.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.28 COP 138.2K

$35.06 MX$605

23.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.4K

$11.44 MX$197

-16.96%

Cappuccino

$2.81 COP 8,973

$3.62 MX$62.4

-22.38%

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

$1.84 COP 5,862

$1.35 MX$23.35

36.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,813

$1.26 MX$21.70

19.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 COP 9,849

$2.62 MX$45.22

17.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 COP 17.5K

$5.64 MX$97.3

-2.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,293

$1.42 MX$24.48

-5.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 COP 7,363

$2.70 MX$46.61

-14.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,692

$1.45 MX$24.95

1.38%

Eggs

$2.69 COP 8,583

$2.13 MX$36.75

26.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 COP 28.3K

$7.15 MX$123

24.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 COP 34.0K

$5.91 MX$102

80.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 COP 46.2K

$10.25 MX$177

41.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 COP 12.0K

$2.64 MX$45.50

42.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 COP 4,429

$1.57 MX$27.07

-11.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,096

$1.60 MX$27.66

38.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 COP 6,324

$1.76 MX$30.31

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,562

$2.68 MX$46.21

-23.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,109

$3.07 MX$52.9

-47.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,327

$2.26 MX$39.08

-53.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 COP 4,052

$1.45 MX$25.01

-12.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 COP 12.0K

$5.95 MX$103

-36.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.10 COP 41.8K

$7.06 MX$122

85.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,035

$2.39 MX$41.26

-33.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 COP 9,642

$2.76 MX$47.61

9.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,730

$0.81 MX$13.91

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 COP 242.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 COP 4,800

$2.57 MX$44.31

-41.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,662

$2.68 MX$46.23

-22.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 COP 25.9K

$11.72 MX$202

-30.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 COP 4,032

$1.56 MX$26.94

-19.23%

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

$26.9K COP 85.9M

$22.5K MX$388.0K

19.63%

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

$34.9K COP 111.4M

$25.0K MX$431.7K

39.41%

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

$148 COP 473.7K

$70.4 MX$1,215

110.64%

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

$13.03 COP 41.6K

$22.90 MX$395

-43.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.48 COP 100.5K

$26.90 MX$464

17.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.50 COP 145.3K

$68.6 MX$1,183

-33.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 COP 54.3K

$34.66 MX$598

-50.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.32 COP 20.2K

$4.29 MX$74.0

47.32%

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

$837 COP 2.7M

$201 MX$3,476

315.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,663 COP 27.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 COP 283.6K

$47.02 MX$811

88.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 COP 175.4K

$30.58 MX$528

79.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 COP 429.5K

$83.6 MX$1,442

60.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 345.9K

$142 MX$2,447

-23.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 COP 3.0M

$701 MX$12.1K

34.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 COP 2.1M

$403 MX$6,959

60.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 COP 6.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 COP 3.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,638 COP 11.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,553 COP 5.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$628 COP 2.0M

$409 MX$7,060

53.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

11.3

-7.70%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 3, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: August 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $939 in Medellin and $701 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 53% 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: $43.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Manzanillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $247 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 36% in total monthly costs ($1,618 vs $1,192 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% 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: $939 in Medellin versus $701 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,618 per month in Medellin versus $1,192 in Manzanillo – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,192 in Manzanillo versus $1,618 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 36% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.