Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Bangkok: $1,112 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
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Bangkok Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,112

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangkok and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bangkok and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,112 in Bangkok versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Bangkok $1,112
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,788 in Bangkok versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Bangkok $1,788
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,464 in Bangkok versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Bangkok $2,464
Medellin $3,199

Living in Bangkok costs roughly 32% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bangkok is 18% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 ฿98.7

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-64.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.13 ฿1,174

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-25.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.33 ฿245

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-20.67%

Cappuccino

$2.73 ฿91.3

$3.05 COP 9,676

-10.49%

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

$0.62 ฿20.78

$1.80 COP 5,707

-65.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿12.17

$1.38 COP 4,382

-73.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ฿87.9

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-18.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-21.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ฿61.8

$1.50 COP 4,760

23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.5

$2.37 COP 7,508

-36.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.72

$1.70 COP 5,377

-21.18%

Eggs

$2.62 ฿87.4

$2.96 COP 9,379

-11.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 ฿572

$10.22 COP 32.4K

67.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 ฿123

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-62.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.83 ฿429

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-7.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 ฿125

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-9.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.53 COP 4,839

13.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 ฿93.2

$2.22 COP 7,052

25.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 ฿62.9

$2.27 COP 7,194

-17.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ฿58.4

$1.99 COP 6,311

-12.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.68

$1.67 COP 5,285

-10.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ฿41.51

$1.18 COP 3,742

5.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.22

$1.24 COP 3,919

-55.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.73 ฿158

$3.87 COP 12.3K

22.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 ฿505

$13.78 COP 43.7K

9.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.0

$1.66 COP 5,256

6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿106

$2.40 COP 7,615

32.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ฿37.19

$1.24 COP 3,944

-10.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.46 ฿1,152

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-55.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿35.47

$1.28 COP 4,044

-17.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 ฿38.60

$2.15 COP 6,803

-46.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 ฿194

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-30.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿47.14

$1.35 COP 4,288

4.44%

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

$31.7K ฿1.1M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-8.69%

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

$26.6K ฿887.8K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-23.41%

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

$108 ฿3,612

$167 COP 528.4K

-35.15%

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

$15.14 ฿506

$13.62 COP 43.2K

11.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.15 ฿607

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-37.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 ฿1,857

$45.09 COP 143.0K

23.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.54 ฿620

$17.18 COP 54.5K

7.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 ฿261

$6.97 COP 22.1K

12.20%

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

$569 ฿19.0K

$790 COP 2.5M

-27.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ฿557.0K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

84.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 ฿2,371

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-19.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.61 ฿1,424

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-26.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ฿3,361

$139 COP 440.7K

-27.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ฿3,560

$98.9 COP 313.5K

7.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 ฿22.5K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-34.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ฿11.1K

$620 COP 2.0M

-46.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ฿66.2K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

5.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 ฿24.5K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-27.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,236 ฿208.4K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

56.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,096 ฿103.5K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

81.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 ฿20.9K

$663 COP 2.1M

-5.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

10.94

-52.01%

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

Last update for Bangkok: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangkok

$333 30%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 85.9% $286

Groceries & Markets

Bangkok

$272 24.5%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 9.4% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Bangkok

$144 13%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 19.7% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangkok

$141 12.7%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 48.1% $68

Eating Out

Bangkok

$104 9.4%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 63.9% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Bangkok

$71 6.4%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 17.1% $12

Getting Around

Bangkok

$46 4.1%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 108% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bangkok and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 6% 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: $35.00 in Bangkok vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $298 per month, with Bangkok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

16:17 4:17 PM

04:17 4:17 AM

12 h behind Bangkok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,666,264 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bangkok Medellin 17,750 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Bangkok
Medellin

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

Bangkok vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangkok and Medellin differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,112 vs $1,625 including rent). Bangkok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $673 in Bangkok versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bangkok – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,112 per month in Bangkok versus $1,625 in Medellin – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,112 in Bangkok versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bangkok but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bangkok 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.

Safety-wise, Bangkok and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bangkok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.