Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Tao and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Tao: $1,045 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Koh Tao
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Koh Tao Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Koh Tao

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,045

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,045 in Koh Tao versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Koh Tao $1,045
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,724 in Koh Tao versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Koh Tao $1,724
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,404 in Koh Tao versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Koh Tao $2,404
Medellin $3,199

Living in Koh Tao costs roughly 36% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Koh Tao is 23% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 ฿130

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-53.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.00 ฿902

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-42.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ฿250

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-18.94%

Cappuccino

$2.39 ฿79.8

$3.05 COP 9,676

-21.64%

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

$0.76 ฿25.49

$1.80 COP 5,707

-57.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ฿14.04

$1.38 COP 4,382

-69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 ฿71.0

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-34.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿108

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-41.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ฿52.6

$1.50 COP 4,760

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 ฿46.03

$2.37 COP 7,508

-41.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.38

$1.70 COP 5,377

-14.71%

Eggs

$2.08 ฿69.6

$2.96 COP 9,379

-29.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.21 ฿609

$10.22 COP 32.4K

78.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ฿109

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-66.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 ฿346

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-25.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ฿93.5

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-32.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$1.53 COP 4,839

1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.1

$2.22 COP 7,052

-1.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$2.27 COP 7,194

-9.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.78

$1.99 COP 6,311

-29.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ฿42.08

$1.67 COP 5,285

-24.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 ฿35.10

$1.18 COP 3,742

-11.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.31

$1.24 COP 3,919

-60.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 ฿135

$3.87 COP 12.3K

4.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.60 ฿588

$13.78 COP 43.7K

27.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.66 COP 5,256

1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ฿88.0

$2.40 COP 7,615

9.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 ฿67.5

$1.24 COP 3,944

62.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$1.28 COP 4,044

115.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ฿32.79

$2.15 COP 6,803

-54.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 ฿113

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-59.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿42.56

$1.35 COP 4,288

-5.93%

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

$24.6K ฿821.9K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-29.25%

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

$23.8K ฿796.1K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-31.32%

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

$96.6 ฿3,229

$167 COP 528.4K

-42.03%

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

$11.21 ฿375

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-17.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 ฿573

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-41.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 ฿1,858

$45.09 COP 143.0K

23.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.50 ฿384

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-33.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 ฿261

$6.97 COP 22.1K

12.20%

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

$566 ฿18.9K

$790 COP 2.5M

-28.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ฿389.6K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

28.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 ฿2,112

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-28.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.21 ฿943

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-51.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 ฿3,222

$139 COP 440.7K

-30.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 ฿2,968

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-10.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 ฿18.4K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-46.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ฿11.7K

$620 COP 2.0M

-43.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 ฿52.9K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-15.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$893 ฿29.8K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-11.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,685 ฿89.7K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-32.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,889 ฿63.1K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

11.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 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 Tao: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Tao

$351 33.6%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 76.6% $269

Groceries & Markets

Koh Tao

$254 24.3%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 17.5% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Tao

$125 12%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 67.5% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Tao

$124 11.9%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 38.8% $48

Eating Out

Koh Tao

$104 10%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 64.2% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Tao

$71 6.8%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 17.1% $12

Getting Around

Koh Tao

$16 * 1.5%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 504% $79

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $550 in Koh Tao and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Koh Tao vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $298 per month, with Koh Tao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Tao

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

05:51 5:51 AM

12 h behind Koh Tao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,382

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Koh Tao Medellin 18,130 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,567 in Koh Tao and $2,437 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: $550 in Koh Tao versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $566 in Koh Tao versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Tao – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,045 in Koh Tao versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Koh Tao but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Tao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Koh Tao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, 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 Koh Tao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.