Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Manzini

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $354 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Manzini

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $354 in Manzini, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Manzini $354

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $515 in Manzini, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Manzini $515

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $677 in Manzini, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Manzini $677

Medellin costs about 350% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Manzini is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$1.29 SZL 21.19

9.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$0.96 SZL 15.84

154.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$1.79 SZL 29.52

-8.94%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$1.18 SZL 19.51

138.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$7.49 SZL 124

29.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$2.96 SZL 48.83

214.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$1.85 SZL 30.51

627.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$1.33 SZL 21.91

200.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$0.59 SZL 9.73

150.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$0.83 SZL 13.65

155.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$0.51 SZL 8.48

341.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$0.58 SZL 9.60

229.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$0.47 SZL 7.73

244.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$0.45 SZL 7.36

155.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.70 SZL 11.47

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$3.13 SZL 51.7

22.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$3.20 SZL 52.8

309.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$0.63 SZL 10.39

153.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$0.78 SZL 12.80

189.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$0.60 SZL 9.89

95.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.32 SZL 21.79

-3.79%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$17.1K SZL 282.0K

56.49%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$15.7K SZL 259.3K

118.71%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$72.4 SZL 1,193

124.08%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$12.23 SZL 202

7.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$29.97 SZL 494

-6.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$3.68 SZL 60.6

65.49%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$170 SZL 2,801

505.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$105 SZL 1,734

474.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$367 SZL 6,054

390.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$274 SZL 4,517

262.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$404 SZL 6,657

55.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Manzini: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Manzini

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Manzini

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Manzini

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Manzini

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Manzini

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Manzini

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Manzini

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $170 in Manzini. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 55% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇿 Manzini

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

15:05 3:05 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

110,508

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.47 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Manzini 12,010 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Manzini

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 Manzini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 350% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $530 in Manzini. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manzini, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $354 in Manzini. That's a gap of about 350%.

Groceries cost about 146% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manzini, where all-in costs run around $354, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Manzini it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Manzini costs $354 versus $1,589 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Manzini. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.