Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cha-am Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cha-am

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $941 in Cha-am.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,412 in Cha-am.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,883 in Cha-am.

Living in Medellin is roughly 10% more expensive than Cha-am, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Cha-am 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.03 ฿99.1

95.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$21.53 ฿704

52.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$8.84 ฿289

-18.55%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.07 ฿67.7

-17.87%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.64 ฿21.07

71.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.44 ฿14.48

63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.48 ฿81.1

-32.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.80 ฿124

-18.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.75 ฿57.3

-39.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.39 ฿45.50

-10.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.28 ฿41.76

8.59%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.90 ฿62.2

18.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$13.43 ฿439

-67.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.29 ฿108

77.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$10.91 ฿357

-19.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$3.13 ฿102

-28.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.33 ฿43.35

-18.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.82 ฿59.6

-15.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.55 ฿50.8

-11.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.63 ฿53.4

-30.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.26 ฿41.04

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.26 ฿41.06

-32.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.46 ฿14.92

97.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.59 ฿150

-49.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$18.47 ฿604

-39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.84 ฿60.1

-35.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$3.50 ฿114

-32.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.90 ฿29.41

-12.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.07 ฿34.93

34.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.76 ฿24.97

151.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$3.47 ฿114

131.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.29 ฿42.34

-27.13%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$20.4K ฿667.5K

-12.20%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$21.2K ฿694.7K

26.11%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$72.2 ฿2,362

16.26%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$13.08 ฿428

-26.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$18.14 ฿593

33.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$24.28 ฿794

6.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$12.02 ฿393

58.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$7.76 ฿254

-49.48%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$137 ฿4,487

123.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$9,237 ฿302.0K

-35.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$30.32 ฿991

91.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$20.00 ฿654

59.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$60.9 ฿1,991

64.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$44.56 ฿1,457

140.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$460 ฿15.0K

5.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$370 ฿12.1K

-0.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$756 ฿24.7K

9.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$687 ฿22.5K

4.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,240 ฿73.2K

30.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,491 ฿48.8K

-5.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$375 ฿12.2K

45.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.45

146.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cha-am: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $460 in Cha-am. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 46% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Cha-am. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $243, 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 Cha-am: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Cha-am differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $941 including rent). Cha-am is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 46% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $460 in Cha-am. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $137 in Cha-am. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cha-am – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $941 in Cha-am versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cha-am but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cha-am 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 Cha-am 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 Cha-am gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.