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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,105 in Koh Tao versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,959 in Koh Tao versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,813 in Koh Tao versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Koh Tao is roughly 9% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Tao 18% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 ฿126

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-35.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.52 ฿1,258

$32.86 COP 117.4K

17.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 ฿246

$7.09 COP 25.3K

6.21%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ฿85.5

$1.71 COP 6,115

53.22%

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

$0.58 ฿18.92

$1.10 COP 3,924

-47.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿10.91

$0.78 COP 2,781

-57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 ฿67.9

$1.68 COP 5,997

23.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ฿105

$3.07 COP 11.0K

4.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ฿68.7

$1.09 COP 3,906

92.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ฿56.5

$1.26 COP 4,508

37.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ฿67.4

$1.38 COP 4,922

49.28%

Eggs

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.19 COP 7,827

1.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.40 COP 15.7K

329.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 ฿112

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-38.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 ฿414

$8.89 COP 31.8K

42.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.34 COP 8,349

38.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.06 COP 3,777

46.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿73.5

$1.50 COP 5,374

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.9

$1.38 COP 4,924

44.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿47.57

$1.15 COP 4,111

26.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿44.84

$1.16 COP 4,155

18.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.22

$0.89 COP 3,182

11.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.11

$0.84 COP 2,997

-41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 ฿138

$2.28 COP 8,145

84.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿594

$10.64 COP 38.0K

71.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ฿56.5

$1.20 COP 4,284

44.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 ฿82.8

$2.47 COP 8,824

2.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ฿39.68

$0.86 COP 3,056

40.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 ฿92.0

$1.47 COP 5,264

91.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 ฿29.06

$1.96 COP 7,009

-54.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.24 ฿400

$7.74 COP 27.6K

58.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ฿38.77

$0.95 COP 3,409

25.26%

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

$25.2K ฿821.6K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

38.75%

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

$30.0K ฿979.7K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

13.25%

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

$121 ฿3,952

$82.3 COP 293.7K

47.12%

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

$13.52 ฿442

$9.50 COP 33.9K

42.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.76 ฿613

$24.23 COP 86.5K

-22.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.5 ฿2,072

$25.89 COP 92.4K

145.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.08 ฿590

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-4.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.65 ฿315

$3.93 COP 14.0K

145.55%

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

$683 ฿22.3K

$309 COP 1.1M

120.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K ฿524.1K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

169.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,933

$58.7 COP 209.5K

0.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 ฿1,127

$32.35 COP 115.5K

6.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ฿3,810

$103 COP 366.4K

13.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,719

$108 COP 387.2K

-23.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.1K

$476 COP 1.7M

-2.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 ฿10.8K

$379 COP 1.4M

-12.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,557 ฿50.9K

$838 COP 3.0M

85.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 ฿36.3K

$724 COP 2.6M

53.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,760 ฿90.1K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-1.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,997 ฿65.2K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

64.86%

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 Tao: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Koh Tao and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Koh Tao vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 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 Tao vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,657 in Koh Tao 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: $464 in Koh Tao versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $683 in Koh Tao 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 $39.00 in Koh Tao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,105 in Koh Tao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Koh Tao. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Koh Tao, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Koh Tao 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 9% less than in Koh Tao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.