Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Lipe and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Lipe and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,164 in Koh Lipe versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,649 in Koh Lipe versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,134 in Koh Lipe versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Koh Lipe is roughly 26% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Koh Lipe 58% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.35 ฿242

$8.03 COP 25.2K

-8.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.1 ฿1,712

$48.26 COP 151.7K

7.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.24 ฿468

$9.77 COP 30.7K

45.75%

Cappuccino

$4.51 ฿148

$2.91 COP 9,149

54.98%

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

$1.36 ฿44.79

$1.94 COP 6,110

-29.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ฿25.56

$1.52 COP 4,783

-48.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.88 ฿128

$3.09 COP 9,721

25.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 ฿197

$5.74 COP 18.1K

4.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 ฿75.1

$1.36 COP 4,287

67.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ฿58.4

$2.39 COP 7,505

-25.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ฿62.7

$1.70 COP 5,346

12.35%

Eggs

$2.75 ฿90.3

$2.87 COP 9,021

-4.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.46 ฿804

$9.94 COP 31.2K

146.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ฿142

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-59.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ฿460

$14.73 COP 46.3K

-5.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 ฿125

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-7.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 ฿67.4

$1.57 COP 4,940

30.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.6

$2.13 COP 6,682

36.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 ฿88.9

$2.21 COP 6,959

22.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 ฿63.1

$2.05 COP 6,435

-6.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ฿55.6

$1.50 COP 4,728

12.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ฿44.99

$1.19 COP 3,740

15.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ฿22.11

$1.16 COP 3,640

-42.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.37 ฿176

$3.90 COP 12.2K

37.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.02 ฿757

$14.44 COP 45.4K

59.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 ฿75.8

$1.58 COP 4,978

46.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 ฿118

$2.83 COP 8,889

26.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 ฿110

$1.17 COP 3,672

184.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 ฿150

$1.28 COP 4,038

256.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ฿53.6

$2.09 COP 6,576

-22.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 ฿187

$8.62 COP 27.1K

-34.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿70.7

$1.30 COP 4,080

65.38%

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

$40.0K ฿1.3M

$27.7K COP 86.9M

44.63%

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

$40.9K ฿1.3M

$35.5K COP 111.6M

15.17%

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

$119 ฿3,919

$176 COP 553.4K

-32.30%

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

$12.66 ฿416

$13.37 COP 42.0K

-5.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.00 ฿657

$29.89 COP 94.0K

-33.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 ฿2,158

$44.76 COP 140.7K

46.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.96 ฿459

$17.06 COP 53.6K

-18.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 ฿324

$6.20 COP 19.5K

59.03%

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

$705 ฿23.2K

$793 COP 2.5M

-11.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K ฿471.8K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

59.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 ฿2,228

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-20.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.25 ฿995

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-48.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ฿3,322

$136 COP 428.4K

-25.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 ฿3,048

$103 COP 324.1K

-10.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 ฿61.1K

$1,060 COP 3.3M

75.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ฿40.5K

$680 COP 2.1M

81.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,182 ฿170.4K

$2,012 COP 6.3M

157.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,105 ฿102.1K

$1,169 COP 3.7M

165.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,981 ฿295.3K

$4,111 COP 12.9M

118.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,490 ฿213.4K

$1,701 COP 5.3M

281.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

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 Koh Lipe: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,859 in Koh Lipe and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Koh Lipe vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $303 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

Koh Lipe vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Koh Lipe. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,247 in Koh Lipe and $2,574 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,859 in Koh Lipe versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Koh Lipe versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $52.0 in Koh Lipe. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,164 in Koh Lipe, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Koh Lipe. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Koh Lipe 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Koh Lipe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.