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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $839 in Bang Kruai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,401 in Bang Kruai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,964 in Bang Kruai.

Living in Medellin is roughly 20% more expensive than in Bang Kruai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Bang Kruai 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$3.09 ฿103

91.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$31.12 ฿1,038

5.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$6.29 ฿210

18.12%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$2.14 ฿71.5

-22.90%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.68 ฿22.83

61.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.29 ฿9.79

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.95 ฿65.2

-11.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$3.85 ฿129

-17.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.47 ฿48.88

-25.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.34 ฿44.76

-5.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.13 ฿37.57

22.12%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.83 ฿60.9

19.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$13.16 ฿439

-65.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$2.78 ฿92.8

108.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$10.66 ฿356

-15.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.59 ฿86.4

-10.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$0.74 ฿24.63

43.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.89 ฿63.1

-19.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.52 ฿50.6

-10.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.60 ฿53.4

-29.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$1.28 ฿42.54

-8.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$1.01 ฿33.82

-10.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.43 ฿14.22

109.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$4.28 ฿143

-47.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$14.34 ฿478

-15.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.67 ฿55.8

-28.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$3.26 ฿109

-23.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.95 ฿31.84

-10.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$1.11 ฿37.01

27.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.70 ฿23.41

178.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$5.52 ฿184

42.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.31 ฿43.59

-24.43%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$19.7K ฿656.9K

-10.62%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$21.4K ฿714.5K

25.12%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$82.6 ฿2,756

0.47%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$12.65 ฿422

-23.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$17.32 ฿578

35.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$48.85 ฿1,629

-48.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$12.28 ฿410

55.54%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$7.73 ฿258

-48.90%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$136 ฿4,551

131.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$13.1K ฿436.9K

-54.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$19.64 ฿655

205.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$24.56 ฿819

29.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$62.5 ฿2,085

62.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$57.6 ฿1,921

86.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$431 ฿14.4K

10.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$290 ฿9,682

28.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$806 ฿26.9K

5.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$664 ฿22.2K

8.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$2,102 ฿70.1K

55.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,648 ฿55.0K

-12.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bang Kruai: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $431 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 $193 vs $218, 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 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,504 in Medellin and $1,258 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: $475 in Medellin versus $431 in Bang Kruai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $136 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 $839 in Bang Kruai versus $1,003 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 20% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.