Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Manzanillo

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzanillo: $1,200 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Manzanillo
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Manzanillo Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Manzanillo

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Manzanillo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $1,200 in Manzanillo.

Medellin $1,692
Manzanillo $1,200

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $2,100 in Manzanillo.

Medellin $2,471
Manzanillo $2,100

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $3,000 in Manzanillo.

Medellin $3,249
Manzanillo $3,000

Living in Medellin is roughly 41% more expensive than in Manzanillo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Manzanillo is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$10.88 MX$202

-23.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$32.44 MX$604

43.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$10.92 MX$203

-13.28%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$3.71 MX$69.1

-15.63%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$1.14 MX$21.14

55.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$1.12 MX$20.81

26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$2.11 MX$39.23

49.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$4.31 MX$80.2

32.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$1.51 MX$28.04

1.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$2.53 MX$47.10

-9.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$1.16 MX$21.54

67.24%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$2.07 MX$38.50

48.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$8.01 MX$149

24.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$5.42 MX$101

92.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$9.44 MX$176

47.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.87 MX$53.4

41.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$1.38 MX$25.67

10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$1.73 MX$32.21

21.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$1.46 MX$27.23

56.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$2.31 MX$42.95

-8.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$1.65 MX$30.77

3.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$1.83 MX$34.15

-36.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$1.16 MX$21.53

36.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$5.31 MX$98.9

-26.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$6.36 MX$118

120.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

$1.80 MX$33.46

-2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

$2.44 MX$45.32

11.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$0.75 MX$13.94

57.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

$2.39 MX$44.54

-24.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

$2.48 MX$46.14

-14.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$8.20 MX$153

-0.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$1.41 MX$26.16

-9.22%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$23.9K MX$445.2K

43.97%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$23.3K MX$434.3K

46.25%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$64.1 MX$1,193

177.27%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$19.79 MX$368

-29.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$28.60 MX$532

7.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$65.8 MX$1,224

-36.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$31.67 MX$589

-46.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$4.34 MX$80.8

72.12%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$162 MX$3,022

386.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$8,458 MX$157.4K

45.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$42.68 MX$794

102.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$24.94 MX$464

137.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$73.9 MX$1,376

87.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$114 MX$2,112

-12.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$660 MX$12.3K

103.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$460 MX$8,560

45.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$1,531 MX$28.5K

29.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$1,322 MX$24.6K

-21.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$402 MX$7,485

60.64%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Manzanillo

$460 38.3% 31.1% $207

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Manzanillo

$228 19% 25.9% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Manzanillo

$112 9.4% 49.4% $110

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Manzanillo

$193 16.1% 11.6% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Manzanillo

$115 9.6% 33.4% $57

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Manzanillo

$18 * 1.5% 81% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Manzanillo

$74 6.2% 30.9% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $660 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 61% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $32 in Manzanillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $228 per month, with Manzanillo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Manzanillo

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

16:29 4:29 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

159,853

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Manzanillo 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Manzanillo

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 Manzanillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $1,200 in Manzanillo, so Manzanillo is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $1,341 in Medellin versus $660 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $1,200 in Manzanillo – Manzanillo is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Manzanillo gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Manzanillo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Manzanillo wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.