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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $864 in Bang Kruai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,380 in Bang Kruai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,896 in Bang Kruai.

Living in Medellin is roughly 18% more expensive than Bang Kruai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Bang Kruai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$3.12 ฿102

90.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$31.36 ฿1,021

6.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$6.28 ฿205

15.13%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.06 ฿67.2

-20.87%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.73 ฿23.87

49.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.29 ฿9.48

151.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.05 ฿66.9

-15.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$3.84 ฿125

-15.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.47 ฿48.01

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.35 ฿44.13

-4.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.12 ฿36.60

17.86%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.92 ฿62.6

18.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$13.15 ฿428

-66.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$2.82 ฿91.9

108.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$10.99 ฿358

-21.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.63 ฿85.7

-14.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.79 ฿25.77

35.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.88 ฿61.2

-19.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.53 ฿49.76

-7.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.60 ฿52.0

-26.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.27 ฿41.22

-7.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.01 ฿32.96

-11.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.45 ฿14.74

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$4.28 ฿140

-47.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$14.64 ฿477

-24.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.67 ฿54.3

-31.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$3.36 ฿109

-29.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.95 ฿31.01

-11.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.07 ฿34.79

31.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.72 ฿23.37

163.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$5.47 ฿178

41.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.32 ฿42.85

-23.48%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$19.9K ฿648.4K

-11.69%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$21.0K ฿683.1K

26.33%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$84.1 ฿2,740

-0.55%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$12.48 ฿407

-24.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$17.19 ฿560

40.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$50.2 ฿1,635

-49.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$12.24 ฿399

56.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$7.74 ฿252

-47.03%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$141 ฿4,584

121.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$13.2K ฿430.1K

-54.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$19.63 ฿639

195.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$24.49 ฿798

32.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$61.0 ฿1,988

63.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$58.3 ฿1,898

86.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$425 ฿13.8K

13.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$281 ฿9,150

35.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$812 ฿26.4K

3.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$653 ฿21.3K

10.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,898 ฿61.8K

49.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,446 ฿47.1K

-15.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Bang Kruai: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $425 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 $221, 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 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $1,296 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: $482 in Medellin versus $425 in Bang Kruai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 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 $864 in Bang Kruai versus $1,017 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 18% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.