Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bang Kruai Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bang Kruai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $852 in Bang Kruai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,401 in Bang Kruai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,950 in Bang Kruai.

Living in Medellin is roughly 21% more expensive than Bang Kruai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Bang Kruai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.5K

$3.09 ฿101

91.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 119.1K

$31.12 ฿1,012

5.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.2K

$6.02 ฿196

19.60%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,186

$2.13 ฿69.4

-20.19%

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

$1.10 COP 3,996

$0.67 ฿21.92

64.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,625

$0.27 ฿8.69

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

$2.03 ฿66.1

-17.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

$3.78 ฿123

-17.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,837

$1.41 ฿46.00

-24.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,531

$1.34 ฿43.59

-6.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,060

$1.12 ฿36.41

24.11%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,229

$1.84 ฿59.8

22.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.8K

$13.25 ฿431

-67.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.2K

$2.81 ฿91.3

107.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 32.1K

$10.85 ฿353

-18.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,159

$2.64 ฿85.7

-15.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,911

$0.76 ฿24.63

42.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,563

$1.81 ฿58.7

-15.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,987

$1.55 ฿50.5

-11.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,109

$1.66 ฿53.9

-31.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,067

$1.25 ฿40.68

-10.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,080

$1.02 ฿33.31

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,305

$0.45 ฿14.74

102.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,477

$4.48 ฿146

-47.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

$14.84 ฿483

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

$1.66 ฿54.0

-28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

$3.28 ฿107

-27.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

$0.88 ฿28.64

-10.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,223

$1.05 ฿34.26

37.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,952

$0.74 ฿24.12

158.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 29.2K

$5.44 ฿177

47.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,410

$1.29 ฿42.07

-27.13%

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

$17.9K COP 65.2M

$20.0K ฿651.5K

-10.57%

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

$26.8K COP 97.4M

$21.0K ฿684.3K

27.27%

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

$84.0 COP 305.4K

$82.5 ฿2,681

1.79%

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

$9.60 COP 34.9K

$12.49 ฿406

-23.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.9K

$17.17 ฿558

40.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 94.1K

$48.71 ฿1,583

-46.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

$12.13 ฿394

56.97%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.2K

$7.48 ฿243

-47.59%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$141 ฿4,568

118.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.5M

$13.5K ฿437.7K

-56.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 210.6K

$19.55 ฿636

196.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 115.7K

$24.33 ฿791

30.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 363.3K

$60.9 ฿1,979

64.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 389.7K

$57.2 ฿1,860

87.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$427 ฿13.9K

13.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$290 ฿9,427

26.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$809 ฿26.3K

2.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$654 ฿21.3K

9.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,961 ฿63.8K

49.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,403 ฿45.6K

0.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.84

129.97%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bang Kruai: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $427 in Bang Kruai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $31.00 in Bang Kruai. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $220, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Bang Kruai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bang Kruai is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $1,279 in Bang Kruai 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: $487 in Medellin versus $427 in Bang Kruai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $141 in Bang Kruai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bang Kruai – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Bang Kruai versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bang Kruai but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bang Kruai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bang Kruai 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, Medellin and Bang Kruai 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 Bang Kruai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.