Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Samui and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Samui: $1,221 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
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Koh Samui Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,221

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,221 per month in Koh Samui vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Koh Samui $1,221
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,093 per month in Koh Samui vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Koh Samui $2,093
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,965 per month in Koh Samui vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Koh Samui $2,965
Medellin $3,186

Koh Samui is about 26% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Koh Samui sits 10% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.31 ฿145

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-46.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.28 ฿1,089

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-31.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿289

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-10.00%

Cappuccino

$2.75 ฿92.7

$3.01 COP 9,722

-8.64%

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

$0.89 ฿30.00

$1.80 COP 5,801

-50.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.55

$1.41 COP 4,554

-65.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-19.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿122

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-37.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.51 COP 4,869

9.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.30

$2.38 COP 7,667

-38.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿53.3

$1.77 COP 5,712

-10.73%

Eggs

$2.16 ฿73.0

$2.89 COP 9,320

-25.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.29 ฿651

$10.19 COP 32.9K

89.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿113

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-66.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿366

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-22.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-25.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.1

$1.55 COP 5,005

3.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿77.1

$2.18 COP 7,039

5.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿69.2

$2.18 COP 7,041

-5.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.79

$1.96 COP 6,328

-26.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.13

$1.59 COP 5,125

-13.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.67

$1.15 COP 3,694

-2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.62

$1.24 COP 4,009

-55.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿144

$3.96 COP 12.8K

7.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.41 ฿621

$13.68 COP 44.1K

34.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.66 COP 5,352

9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿96.2

$2.26 COP 7,281

26.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 ฿51.7

$1.17 COP 3,766

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 ฿1,959

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-24.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ฿106

$1.27 COP 4,089

148.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿36.12

$2.05 COP 6,603

-47.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 ฿138

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-52.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 ฿51.7

$1.35 COP 4,343

13.33%

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

$27.5K ฿928.8K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-19.19%

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

$27.7K ฿936.1K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-19.98%

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

$104 ฿3,492

$170 COP 547.0K

-38.99%

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

$11.49 ฿388

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-15.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.05 ฿609

$28.07 COP 90.5K

-35.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.9 ฿2,358

$43.70 COP 140.9K

59.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.34 ฿383

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-34.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ฿275

$6.91 COP 22.3K

17.80%

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

$509 ฿17.2K

$797 COP 2.6M

-36.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ฿416.9K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

35.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,120

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-25.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿982

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-49.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 ฿3,231

$135 COP 435.2K

-29.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 ฿2,942

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-10.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿20.5K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-49.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ฿14.2K

$642 COP 2.1M

-34.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 ฿55.8K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-18.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 ฿41.2K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

20.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,583 ฿120.9K

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-14.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,588 ฿87.3K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

35.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$405 ฿13.7K

$657 COP 2.1M

-38.35%

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 Samui: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Samui

$420 34.4%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 52.7% $222

Groceries & Markets

Koh Samui

$267 21.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 11.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Samui

$133 10.9%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 58.8% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Samui

$124 10.1%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 36.6% $45

Eating Out

Koh Samui

$119 9.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 43% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Samui

$86 7.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 33.2% $29

Getting Around

Koh Samui

$73 6%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 28.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $607 in Koh Samui versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 62% higher in Medellin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Koh Samui versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $297 – making Koh Samui the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

12:43 12:43 PM

12 h behind Koh Samui

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,110

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 31, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Koh Samui Medellin 18,190 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Koh Samui
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,221 in Koh Samui, $1,639 in Medellin – Koh Samui comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,832 per month in Koh Samui and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Koh Samui, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $607 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Koh Samui and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,221 in Koh Samui and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Koh Samui has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,221 in Koh Samui to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Koh Samui. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.