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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,156 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,789 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,423 in Manzanillo.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 12% less than in Manzanillo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Manzanillo 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$10.43 MX$179

-42.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$35.90 MX$616

-7.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$11.01 MX$189

-34.33%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.91 MX$49.97

-43.99%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.22 MX$20.88

-10.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$1.28 MX$21.91

-42.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.08 MX$35.70

-16.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$3.71 MX$63.7

-12.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.38 MX$23.76

-23.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$2.51 MX$43.00

-48.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.34 MX$22.98

-1.49%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.95 MX$33.50

16.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$6.69 MX$115

-34.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$5.41 MX$92.9

8.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$9.43 MX$162

-8.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.42 MX$41.49

-7.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.43 MX$24.57

-25.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.46 MX$25.07

4.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.61 MX$27.58

-11.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$2.48 MX$42.63

-52.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$2.82 MX$48.33

-58.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.99 MX$34.24

-55.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$1.14 MX$19.49

-21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$5.10 MX$87.6

-55.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$6.72 MX$115

64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$2.52 MX$43.25

-54.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.45 MX$42.12

-2.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.59 MX$10.20

42.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$2.42 MX$41.46

-41.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.59 MX$27.21

19.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$8.43 MX$145

-8.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.32 MX$22.71

-23.48%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$21.0K MX$360.2K

-16.23%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$22.6K MX$388.6K

17.01%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$124 MX$2,127

-32.48%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$15.96 MX$274

-40.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$24.65 MX$423

-2.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$28.68 MX$492

-11.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$15.90 MX$273

20.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$3.95 MX$67.8

3.80%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$52.7 MX$904

491.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$3,659 MX$62.8K

63.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$48.13 MX$826

20.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$28.71 MX$493

13.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$121 MX$2,072

-17.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$131 MX$2,242

-16.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$704 MX$12.1K

-31.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$401 MX$6,875

-5.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$950 MX$16.3K

-11.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$767 MX$13.2K

-5.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,874 MX$32.2K

51.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,115 MX$19.1K

9.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$396 MX$6,788

36.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.07

21.32%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $704 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Manzanillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $228 per month, with Medellin 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 14% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $1,156 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 37% more on average, 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: $482 in Medellin versus $704 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Manzanillo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,017 per month in Medellin versus $1,156 in Manzanillo – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,156 in Manzanillo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Manzanillo. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Manzanillo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.