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: $2,059 in Koh Lipe versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,063 in Koh Lipe versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,067 in Koh Lipe versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Koh Lipe is roughly 103% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Koh Lipe is 54% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.23 ฿236

$5.99 COP 21.4K

20.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 ฿2,409

$32.86 COP 117.2K

124.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.62 ฿445

$7.09 COP 25.3K

92.10%

Cappuccino

$4.96 ฿162

$1.71 COP 6,105

190.06%

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

$1.17 ฿38.33

$1.10 COP 3,918

6.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ฿19.33

$0.78 COP 2,776

-24.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 ฿127

$1.68 COP 5,987

131.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 ฿197

$3.07 COP 10.9K

96.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.80 ฿91.5

$1.09 COP 3,899

156.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 ฿77.3

$1.26 COP 4,500

87.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 ฿91.9

$1.38 COP 4,914

103.62%

Eggs

$2.90 ฿94.7

$2.19 COP 7,813

32.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.48 ฿800

$4.40 COP 15.7K

456.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 ฿149

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-19.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 ฿550

$8.89 COP 31.7K

89.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.20 ฿137

$2.34 COP 8,334

79.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.6

$1.06 COP 3,771

98.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ฿96.6

$1.50 COP 5,365

97.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ฿82.1

$1.38 COP 4,915

81.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 ฿65.2

$1.15 COP 4,104

73.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 ฿59.2

$1.16 COP 4,148

56.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ฿40.39

$0.89 COP 3,176

39.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ฿21.07

$0.84 COP 2,992

-23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.40 ฿176

$2.28 COP 8,131

136.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.13 ฿789

$10.64 COP 37.9K

126.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ฿75.1

$1.20 COP 4,276

91.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ฿115

$2.47 COP 8,809

41.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 ฿67.9

$0.86 COP 3,051

141.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 ฿147

$1.47 COP 5,255

205.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ฿51.3

$1.96 COP 6,997

-19.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.65 ฿675

$7.74 COP 27.6K

166.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿66.1

$0.95 COP 3,403

112.63%

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

$41.1K ฿1.3M

$18.1K COP 64.6M

126.87%

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

$50.2K ฿1.6M

$26.5K COP 94.4M

89.44%

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

$142 ฿4,636

$82.3 COP 293.2K

72.43%

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

$15.79 ฿516

$9.50 COP 33.9K

66.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.55 ฿705

$24.23 COP 86.4K

-11.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.1 ฿2,486

$25.89 COP 92.3K

193.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.38 ฿699

$19.00 COP 67.7K

12.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.98 ฿359

$3.93 COP 14.0K

179.39%

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

$884 ฿28.9K

$309 COP 1.1M

185.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ฿647.2K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

231.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 ฿2,028

$58.7 COP 209.1K

5.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.23 ฿1,184

$32.35 COP 115.3K

11.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 ฿3,996

$103 COP 365.7K

19.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,897

$108 COP 386.5K

-18.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 ฿50.6K

$476 COP 1.7M

225.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 ฿35.9K

$379 COP 1.4M

189.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,109 ฿167.0K

$838 COP 3.0M

509.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,686 ฿120.5K

$724 COP 2.6M

409.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,096 ฿297.3K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

225.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,675 ฿218.2K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

451.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.43

-60.31%

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

Last update for Koh Lipe: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,549 in Koh Lipe and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Koh Lipe vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $188 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 103% 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 $3,089 in Koh Lipe and $1,519 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: $1,549 in Koh Lipe versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $884 in Koh Lipe versus $309 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 $33.00 versus $74.0 in Koh Lipe. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,059 in Koh Lipe, a $1,500 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 $1,013 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 103% less than in Koh Lipe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.