Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Rai and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Rai and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $735 in Chiang Rai versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,157 in Chiang Rai versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,580 in Chiang Rai versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Chiang Rai costs roughly 55% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Rai is 47% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.09 ฿68.7

$8.04 COP 25.0K

-74.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.44 ฿508

$48.29 COP 149.9K

-68.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.46 ฿180

$9.42 COP 29.3K

-42.04%

Cappuccino

$1.34 ฿44.14

$2.94 COP 9,120

-54.42%

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

$0.66 ฿21.78

$1.86 COP 5,786

-64.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ฿9.16

$1.46 COP 4,519

-80.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 ฿56.2

$3.21 COP 9,969

-46.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿118

$5.71 COP 17.7K

-37.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿66.5

$1.44 COP 4,467

40.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ฿52.3

$2.40 COP 7,454

-33.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ฿40.86

$1.70 COP 5,274

-27.06%

Eggs

$1.86 ฿61.2

$2.89 COP 8,975

-35.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.01 ฿526

$10.06 COP 31.2K

59.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$9.97 COP 31.0K

-70.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.04 ฿330

$14.20 COP 44.1K

-29.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 ฿88.0

$3.98 COP 12.4K

-32.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 ฿27.12

$1.58 COP 4,921

-48.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ฿51.5

$2.15 COP 6,682

-26.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 ฿31.30

$2.30 COP 7,141

-58.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 ฿41.10

$2.00 COP 6,223

-37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.18

$1.51 COP 4,687

-29.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.42

$1.20 COP 3,734

-38.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.77

$1.28 COP 3,981

-57.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ฿130

$3.84 COP 11.9K

3.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$14.01 COP 43.5K

31.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ฿56.9

$1.71 COP 5,302

1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿95.9

$2.74 COP 8,515

6.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿28.56

$1.25 COP 3,868

-30.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.78 ฿749

$77.9 COP 241.9K

-70.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ฿40.96

$1.31 COP 4,052

-4.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ฿17.64

$2.17 COP 6,739

-75.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿78.6

$8.29 COP 25.8K

-71.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.70

$1.36 COP 4,209

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

$21.5K ฿708.4K

$27.5K COP 85.3M

-21.57%

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

$27.7K ฿911.2K

$36.5K COP 113.4M

-24.15%

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

$64.3 ฿2,115

$169 COP 523.8K

-61.87%

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

$13.42 ฿441

$13.57 COP 42.1K

-1.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.04 ฿462

$28.32 COP 87.9K

-50.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.89 ฿1,180

$45.71 COP 141.9K

-21.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.09 ฿200

$17.22 COP 53.5K

-64.63%

Cinema Ticket

$3.13 ฿103

$6.65 COP 20.6K

-52.93%

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

$793 ฿26.1K

$803 COP 2.5M

-1.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿489.6K

$9,190 COP 28.5M

62.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 ฿1,853

$87.4 COP 271.2K

-35.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.52 ฿839

$59.4 COP 184.3K

-57.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ฿2,499

$139 COP 431.3K

-45.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,414

$102 COP 316.8K

-28.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 ฿7,724

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-78.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 ฿5,104

$653 COP 2.0M

-76.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$1,925 COP 6.0M

-73.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ฿11.9K

$1,048 COP 3.3M

-65.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,973 ฿64.9K

$4,123 COP 12.8M

-52.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$977 ฿32.1K

$1,697 COP 5.3M

-42.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 ฿20.1K

$655 COP 2.0M

-6.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.94

-49.09%

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

Last update for Chiang Rai: September 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $235 in Chiang Rai and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 7% 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: $15.00 in Chiang Rai vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $300 per month, with Chiang Rai 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

Chiang Rai vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Rai and Medellin differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($735 vs $1,641 including rent). Chiang Rai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% 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: $235 in Chiang Rai versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Chiang Rai versus $803 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $735 in Chiang Rai versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Rai but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Rai 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, Chiang Rai 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 Chiang Rai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.