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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $913 in Bang Kruai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,526 in Bang Kruai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,139 in Bang Kruai.

Living in Medellin is roughly 84% more expensive than in Bang Kruai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Bang Kruai is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.01 ฿101

166.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$36.00 ฿1,202

32.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.53 ฿251

31.34%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.88 ฿96.2

8.68%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.77 ฿25.67

148.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.36 ฿11.88

319.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.19 ฿73.2

42.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.28 ฿143

34.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.46 ฿48.61

-1.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.32 ฿44.05

88.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.25 ฿41.62

41.60%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.91 ฿63.9

54.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$12.59 ฿420

-20.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$2.46 ฿82.2

311.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$10.20 ฿340

40.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.53 ฿118

17.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.98 ฿32.69

64.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.42 ฿80.9

-7.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.63 ฿54.3

38.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.73 ฿57.8

17.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.10 ฿36.85

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.83 ฿27.71

40.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.46 ฿15.32

184.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.67 ฿156

-16.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$14.33 ฿478

-2.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.64 ฿54.6

6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.54 ฿84.7

12.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.93 ฿31.17

31.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.04 ฿34.77

25.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.21 ฿40.25

80.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$5.99 ฿200

45.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.44 ฿47.92

-4.86%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$17.0K ฿566.2K

64.09%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$26.9K ฿896.7K

33.16%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$84.7 ฿2,828

109.30%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$9.48 ฿316

46.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$18.69 ฿624

59.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$47.81 ฿1,596

-6.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$14.21 ฿474

20.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$6.79 ฿227

-2.06%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$552 ฿18.4K

47.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$10.9K ฿362.8K

-15.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$6.22 ฿207

1338.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$44.54 ฿1,487

32.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$73.7 ฿2,459

87.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$55.8 ฿1,864

82.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$461 ฿15.4K

130.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$299 ฿9,966

122.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,384 ฿46.2K

36.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$750 ฿25.0K

36.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,972 ฿65.8K

112.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,588 ฿53.0K

5.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.38

103.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bang Kruai: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $461 in Bang Kruai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Bang Kruai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $221 per month, with Bang Kruai 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 Bang Kruai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bang Kruai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,370 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $461 in Bang Kruai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $552 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 $36.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $913 in Bang Kruai versus $1,681 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 84% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.