Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ao Nang Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ao Nang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,009 in Ao Nang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,553 in Ao Nang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,097 in Ao Nang.

Living in Medellin is roughly 63% more expensive than in Ao Nang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Ao Nang is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.00 ฿99.0

168.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$24.28 ฿802

98.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.89 ฿327

-4.75%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.74 ฿57.4

68.97%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.74 ฿24.40

151.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.34 ฿11.08

329.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.07 ฿68.6

55.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.06 ฿101

86.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.71 ฿89.4

-46.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.54 ฿50.8

55.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.35 ฿44.66

25.93%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.89 ฿95.5

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$16.26 ฿537

-38.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$2.64 ฿87.2

277.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.26 ฿339

38.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.16 ฿104

25.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.08 ฿35.56

46.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.27 ฿75.1

-5.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.87 ฿61.7

22.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.50 ฿49.64

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.11 ฿36.61

36.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.14 ฿37.53

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.52 ฿17.20

146.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.48 ฿148

-14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$16.45 ฿543

-14.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.66 ฿54.8

3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.86 ฿94.4

-4.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.92 ฿30.47

35.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$36.16 ฿1,195

115.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.26 ฿41.71

3.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.11 ฿36.60

95.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$3.85 ฿127

115.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.39 ฿45.80

-2.16%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$27.2K ฿900.0K

0.86%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$28.7K ฿947.2K

27.45%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$108 ฿3,575

55.95%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$8.78 ฿290

54.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$21.27 ฿703

33.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$54.4 ฿1,797

-15.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$14.46 ฿478

19.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.82 ฿225

-2.49%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$566 ฿18.7K

42.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$11.2K ฿369.7K

-17.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$51.1 ฿1,687

71.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$29.43 ฿972

101.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$80.0 ฿2,643

73.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$76.2 ฿2,516

34.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$370 ฿12.2K

189.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$306 ฿10.1K

113.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$986 ฿32.6K

95.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$561 ฿18.5K

86.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,846 ฿61.0K

123.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,413 ฿46.7K

20.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,307 ฿43.2K

-49.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.57

96.41%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ao Nang: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $370 in Ao Nang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ao Nang pays 100% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $24.00 in Ao Nang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $257 per month, with Ao Nang 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

Medellin vs Ao Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Ao Nang differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $1,009 including rent). Ao Nang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 100% lower in Ao Nang. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $370 in Ao Nang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ao Nang – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $1,009 in Ao Nang – a 63% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,009 in Ao Nang versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ao Nang but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ao Nang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ao Nang 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 Ao Nang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.