Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hat Yai and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Hat Yai: $731 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Hat Yai
Learn more

Hat Yai Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Hat Yai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$731

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $731 in Hat Yai versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Hat Yai $731
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,300 in Hat Yai versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Hat Yai $1,300
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,870 in Hat Yai versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Hat Yai $1,870
Medellin $3,190

Living in Hat Yai costs roughly 55% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hat Yai is 46% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ฿96.9

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-63.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.67 ฿1,460

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-5.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.66 ฿122

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-61.47%

Cappuccino

$2.88 ฿96.3

$3.11 COP 9,866

-7.40%

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

$1.33 ฿44.34

$1.83 COP 5,800

-27.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.60

$1.38 COP 4,360

-59.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 ฿60.1

$3.05 COP 9,672

-40.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ฿116

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-37.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.55

$1.45 COP 4,600

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ฿41.68

$2.36 COP 7,496

-47.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.28

$1.68 COP 5,328

-26.19%

Eggs

$2.51 ฿83.9

$2.86 COP 9,077

-12.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.15 ฿740

$10.19 COP 32.3K

117.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.24 ฿74.7

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-76.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ฿374

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-20.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ฿84.8

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-37.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.10

$1.50 COP 4,742

-8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ฿63.3

$2.17 COP 6,891

-12.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ฿60.3

$2.31 COP 7,310

-22.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.94

$1.93 COP 6,113

-24.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.38

$1.64 COP 5,196

-37.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.74

$1.13 COP 3,571

-5.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.57

$1.25 COP 3,954

-67.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 ฿146

$3.99 COP 12.6K

9.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 ฿502

$13.35 COP 42.3K

12.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$1.70 COP 5,384

4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ฿66.4

$2.37 COP 7,525

-16.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ฿18.98

$1.21 COP 3,827

-52.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ฿41.71

$1.32 COP 4,179

-5.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ฿37.78

$2.14 COP 6,774

-47.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 ฿165

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-41.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿43.15

$1.30 COP 4,114

-0.77%

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

$18.9K ฿630.6K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-32.59%

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

$45.1K ฿1.5M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

27.39%

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

$84.4 ฿2,819

$172 COP 545.6K

-50.98%

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

$11.75 ฿393

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-12.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.65 ฿322

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-66.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.45 ฿1,619

$45.24 COP 143.5K

7.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.10 ฿471

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-17.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 ฿240

$6.28 COP 19.9K

14.49%

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

$562 ฿18.8K

$770 COP 2.4M

-27.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ฿357.3K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

18.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.54 ฿1,255

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-56.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.26 ฿878

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-54.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ฿2,369

$137 COP 432.9K

-48.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 ฿3,250

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-0.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ฿9,010

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-74.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 ฿3,576

$616 COP 2.0M

-82.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-61.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ฿13.3K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-61.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.0K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-52.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,584 ฿52.9K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-5.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 ฿15.1K

$652 COP 2.1M

-30.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

10.94

-41.86%

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

Last update for Hat Yai: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hat Yai

$249 34.1%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 18.2% $45

Accommodation & Living

Hat Yai

$107 14.7%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 476% $509

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hat Yai

$106 14.5%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 103% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Hat Yai

$104 14.3%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 63% $66

Eating Out

Hat Yai

$92 12.6%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 82.6% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Hat Yai

$63 8.6%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 8% $5

Getting Around

Hat Yai

$9.2 * 1.3%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 918% $84

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $270 in Hat Yai and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 44% 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: $44.00 in Hat Yai vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $295 per month, with Hat Yai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Hat Yai

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

03:00 3:00 AM

15:00 3:00 PM

12 h behind Hat Yai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

156,802

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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hat Yai Medellin 18,480 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Hat Yai
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

Hat Yai vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 121% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hat Yai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 44% 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: $270 in Hat Yai versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $562 in Hat Yai versus $770 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hat Yai – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Hat Yai versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hat Yai but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Hat Yai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hat Yai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $731 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hat Yai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.