Cost of Living Comparison Between Hat Yai and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Hat Yai and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $753 in Hat Yai versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,336 in Hat Yai versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,918 in Hat Yai versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Hat Yai costs roughly 27% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hat Yai 44% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.15 ฿102

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-46.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.81 ฿1,522

$32.75 COP 119.1K

42.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.35 ฿141

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-39.58%

Cappuccino

$2.68 ฿87.1

$1.70 COP 6,186

57.65%

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

$1.16 ฿37.55

$1.10 COP 3,996

5.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ฿14.41

$0.72 COP 2,625

-38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 ฿59.1

$1.67 COP 6,067

8.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿123

$3.10 COP 11.3K

21.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿48.92

$1.06 COP 3,837

41.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ฿41.50

$1.25 COP 4,531

2.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.33

$1.39 COP 5,060

-4.32%

Eggs

$2.46 ฿80.1

$2.26 COP 8,229

8.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.82 ฿742

$4.33 COP 15.8K

427.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.36 ฿76.8

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-59.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 ฿383

$8.83 COP 32.1K

33.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 ฿86.5

$2.24 COP 8,159

18.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.30

$1.08 COP 3,911

31.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 ฿63.6

$1.53 COP 5,563

28.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.3

$1.37 COP 4,987

13.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.85

$1.13 COP 4,109

35.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿34.69

$1.12 COP 4,067

-4.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ฿48.75

$0.85 COP 3,080

76.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.70

$0.91 COP 3,305

-60.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 ฿148

$2.33 COP 8,477

96.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 ฿498

$11.13 COP 40.5K

37.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.4

$1.19 COP 4,342

51.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ฿64.1

$2.37 COP 8,617

-16.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ฿20.63

$0.79 COP 2,859

-20.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿34.41

$1.44 COP 5,223

-26.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 ฿37.60

$1.91 COP 6,952

-39.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 ฿197

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-24.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿42.34

$0.94 COP 3,410

38.30%

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

$19.5K ฿633.4K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

8.71%

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

$46.3K ฿1.5M

$26.8K COP 97.4M

72.71%

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

$87.3 ฿2,838

$84.0 COP 305.4K

3.97%

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

$13.48 ฿438

$9.60 COP 34.9K

40.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.85 ฿320

$24.16 COP 87.9K

-59.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.18 ฿1,599

$25.88 COP 94.1K

90.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 ฿390

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-37.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 ฿238

$3.92 COP 14.2K

86.99%

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

$294 ฿9,562

$306 COP 1.1M

-4.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,758 ฿317.2K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

64.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.00 ฿1,268

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-32.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.31 ฿888

$31.82 COP 115.7K

-14.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 ฿2,321

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-28.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 ฿2,322

$107 COP 389.7K

-33.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ฿9,011

$487 COP 1.8M

-43.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 ฿3,728

$368 COP 1.3M

-68.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ฿24.5K

$826 COP 3.0M

-8.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 ฿13.1K

$716 COP 2.6M

-43.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,198 ฿71.5K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-24.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,351 ฿43.9K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-3.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$473 ฿15.4K

$546 COP 2.0M

-13.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

13.43

-52.64%

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

Last update for Hat Yai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $277 in Hat Yai and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 15% 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: $47.00 in Hat Yai vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $190 per month, with Medellin 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

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

Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 37% 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, Medellin earns 15% 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: $277 in Hat Yai versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $294 in Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $753 in Hat Yai versus $1,034 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 $753 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 37% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.