Cost of Living Comparison Between Cha-am and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cha-am and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $941 in Cha-am versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,412 in Cha-am versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,883 in Cha-am versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Cha-am costs roughly 9% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cha-am 30% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ฿98.5

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-48.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.53 ฿700

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-34.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿288

$7.20 COP 26.2K

22.78%

Cappuccino

$2.07 ฿67.3

$1.70 COP 6,186

21.76%

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

$0.64 ฿20.95

$1.10 COP 3,996

-41.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ฿14.39

$0.72 COP 2,625

-38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿80.6

$1.67 COP 6,067

48.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿123

$3.10 COP 11.3K

22.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ฿57.0

$1.06 COP 3,837

65.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ฿45.24

$1.25 COP 4,531

11.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿41.51

$1.39 COP 5,060

-7.91%

Eggs

$1.90 ฿61.8

$2.26 COP 8,229

-15.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 ฿437

$4.33 COP 15.8K

210.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ฿107

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-43.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿355

$8.83 COP 32.1K

23.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 ฿102

$2.24 COP 8,159

39.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.09

$1.08 COP 3,911

23.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 ฿59.3

$1.53 COP 5,563

18.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.5

$1.37 COP 4,987

13.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.1

$1.13 COP 4,109

44.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ฿40.80

$1.12 COP 4,067

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ฿40.82

$0.85 COP 3,080

48.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿14.84

$0.91 COP 3,305

-49.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 ฿149

$2.33 COP 8,477

97.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.47 ฿600

$11.13 COP 40.5K

65.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.19 COP 4,342

54.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ฿114

$2.37 COP 8,617

47.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.24

$0.79 COP 2,859

13.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ฿34.73

$1.44 COP 5,223

-25.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ฿24.82

$1.91 COP 6,952

-60.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 ฿113

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-56.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.10

$0.94 COP 3,410

37.23%

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

$20.4K ฿663.6K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

13.89%

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

$21.2K ฿690.6K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-20.71%

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

$72.2 ฿2,348

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-13.98%

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

$13.08 ฿425

$9.60 COP 34.9K

36.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.14 ฿590

$24.16 COP 87.9K

-24.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.28 ฿789

$25.88 COP 94.1K

-6.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.02 ฿391

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-36.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.76 ฿252

$3.92 COP 14.2K

97.96%

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

$137 ฿4,461

$306 COP 1.1M

-55.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,237 ฿300.3K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

56.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.32 ฿986

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-47.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.00 ฿650

$31.82 COP 115.7K

-37.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.9 ฿1,979

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-39.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.56 ฿1,448

$107 COP 389.7K

-58.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿14.9K

$487 COP 1.8M

-5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ฿12.0K

$368 COP 1.3M

0.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.6K

$826 COP 3.0M

-8.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$687 ฿22.3K

$716 COP 2.6M

-4.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,240 ฿72.8K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-23.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,491 ฿48.5K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

6.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$375 ฿12.2K

$546 COP 2.0M

-31.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

13.43

-59.42%

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

Last update for Cha-am: April 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $460 in Cha-am and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 46% 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: $22.00 in Cha-am vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $190, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Cha-am vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cha-am and Medellin differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($941 vs $1,034 including rent). Cha-am is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Medellin earns 46% less. 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: $460 in Cha-am versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $137 in Cha-am versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cha-am – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $941 in Cha-am versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cha-am but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cha-am 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, Cha-am 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 Cha-am gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.