🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $883 in Chanthaburi versus $1,034 in Medellin.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Chanthaburi versus $1,577 in Medellin.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,938 in Chanthaburi versus $2,120 in Medellin.
🙂Living in Chanthaburi costs roughly 15% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Chanthaburi34% lower, Medellin23% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chanthaburi
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.21฿39.65
$5.92COP 21.4K
-79.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.25฿1,022
$32.75COP 118.2K
-4.58%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.30฿206
$7.20COP 26.0K
-12.50%
Cappuccino
$1.50฿49.14
$1.70COP 6,140
-11.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57฿18.57
$1.10COP 3,966
-48.18%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29฿9.60
$0.72COP 2,605
-59.72%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.77฿58.0
$1.67COP 6,022
5.99%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.98฿130
$3.10COP 11.2K
28.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chanthaburi
Medellin
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.58฿51.7
$1.06COP 3,809
49.06%
White Bread(500g)
$1.35฿44.05
$1.25COP 4,497
8.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.93฿30.47
$1.39COP 5,022
-33.09%
Eggs
$2.15฿70.4
$2.26COP 8,168
-4.87%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$18.28฿598
$4.33COP 15.6K
322.17%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.01฿98.3
$5.84COP 21.1K
-48.46%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.23฿302
$8.83COP 31.9K
4.53%
Apples(1kg)
$3.42฿112
$2.24COP 8,099
52.68%
Banana(1kg)
$1.79฿58.7
$1.08COP 3,882
65.74%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.21฿72.3
$1.53COP 5,522
44.44%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.86฿60.8
$1.37COP 4,950
35.77%
Potato(1kg)
$1.22฿39.93
$1.13COP 4,078
7.96%
Onion(1kg)
$1.45฿47.35
$1.12COP 4,036
29.46%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.02฿33.43
$0.85COP 3,057
20.00%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52฿17.10
$0.91COP 3,281
-42.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.33฿142
$2.33COP 8,414
85.84%
Wine(Bottle)
$16.96฿555
$11.13COP 40.2K
52.38%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74฿56.8
$1.19COP 4,309
46.22%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34฿109
$2.37COP 8,553
40.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Chanthaburi
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.90฿29.36
$0.79COP 2,838
13.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$31.04฿1,015
$41.13COP 148.5K
-24.53%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.11฿36.32
$1.44COP 5,184
-22.92%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.99฿32.40
$1.91COP 6,901
-48.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$6.25฿204
$8.02COP 28.9K
-22.07%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.23฿40.27
$0.94COP 3,385
30.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.7K฿1.2M
$17.9KCOP 64.7M
110.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.1K฿789.7K
$26.8KCOP 96.7M
-9.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chanthaburi
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$87.8฿2,872
$84.0COP 303.1K
4.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.79฿124
$9.60COP 34.7K
-60.52%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.69฿350
$24.16COP 87.2K
-55.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chanthaburi
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$49.71฿1,626
$25.88COP 93.4K
92.08%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.04฿394
$19.04COP 68.7K
-36.76%
Cinema Ticket
$5.48฿179
$3.92COP 14.1K
39.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chanthaburi
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$598฿19.6K
$306COP 1.1M
95.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$13.1K฿426.7K
$5,919COP 21.4M
120.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chanthaburi
Medellin
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$7.62฿249
$57.9COP 209.1K
-86.84%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.09฿1,213
$31.82COP 114.9K
16.56%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$69.8฿2,282
$99.9COP 360.6K
-30.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$21.98฿719
$107COP 386.8K
-79.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chanthaburi
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$422฿13.8K
$487COP 1.8M
-13.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$284฿9,273
$368COP 1.3M
-22.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$813฿26.6K
$826COP 3.0M
-1.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$662฿21.6K
$716COP 2.6M
-7.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,137฿69.9K
$2,925COP 10.6M
-26.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,529฿50.0K
$1,407COP 5.1M
8.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chanthaburi
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$546COP 2.0M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.84
13.43
-56.52%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Chanthaburi: April 27, 2026
Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $422 in Chanthaburi and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $31.00 in Chanthaburi vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 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
Chanthaburi vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Chanthaburi and Medellin?
Chanthaburi and Medellin differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($883 vs $1,034 including rent). Chanthaburi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Chanthaburi compared to Medellin?
You'd need roughly $1,324 in Chanthaburi and $1,550 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Chanthaburi and Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $422 in Chanthaburi versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Chanthaburi and Medellin?
A monthly transit pass in Chanthaburi runs roughly 33% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Chanthaburi and Medellin?
Childcare runs $598 in Chanthaburi versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $883 in Chanthaburi versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chanthaburi but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chanthaburi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Chanthaburi and Medellin?
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.
Is Chanthaburi or Medellin safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Chanthaburi 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.
Where should expats move: Chanthaburi or Medellin?
Expats usually find Chanthaburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Chanthaburi vs other spots: cost of living compared