Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chaiyaphum Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chaiyaphum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $864 in Chaiyaphum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,458 in Chaiyaphum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,053 in Chaiyaphum.

Living in Medellin is roughly 16% more expensive than in Chaiyaphum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Chaiyaphum 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$1.26 ฿42.01

369.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$31.37 ฿1,047

5.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$6.30 ฿210

17.94%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$1.24 ฿41.37

33.06%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.47 ฿15.65

134.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.27 ฿8.92

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$2.49 ฿83.1

-30.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$4.11 ฿137

-22.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.88 ฿62.9

-41.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.35 ฿45.18

-6.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.40 ฿46.67

-1.43%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.57 ฿52.3

38.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$18.34 ฿612

-75.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$3.01 ฿101

92.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$9.20 ฿307

-2.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$3.47 ฿116

-33.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$0.63 ฿21.16

68.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$2.30 ฿76.7

-33.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.91 ฿63.6

-28.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.60 ฿53.4

-29.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$1.50 ฿49.95

-22.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$1.02 ฿33.95

-11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.30 ฿9.98

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$4.38 ฿146

-49.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$18.14 ฿605

-33.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.78 ฿59.4

-33.15%

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

$0.93 ฿31.09

-8.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$1.06 ฿35.50

33.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$1.19 ฿39.55

63.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$6.10 ฿203

29.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.07 ฿35.80

-7.48%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$37.3K ฿1.2M

-52.76%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$28.3K ฿945.5K

-5.45%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$45.30 ฿1,511

83.25%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$11.30 ฿377

-14.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$12.45 ฿415

88.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$49.39 ฿1,648

-48.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$12.29 ฿410

55.41%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$7.61 ฿254

-48.09%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$595 ฿19.8K

-46.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$13.4K ฿445.8K

-55.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$58.4 ฿1,947

2.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$39.45 ฿1,316

-19.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$105 ฿3,518

-3.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$93.7 ฿3,127

14.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$421 ฿14.0K

12.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$286 ฿9,528

30.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$804 ฿26.8K

5.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$659 ฿22.0K

9.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$2,199 ฿73.4K

48.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,563 ฿52.1K

-7.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$437 ฿14.6K

42.85%

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 Chaiyaphum: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $421 in Chaiyaphum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 43% 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 $31.00 in Chaiyaphum. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $249, 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 Chaiyaphum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chaiyaphum is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Medellin, 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: $475 in Medellin versus $421 in Chaiyaphum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $595 in Chaiyaphum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chaiyaphum – 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 Chaiyaphum versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chaiyaphum but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chaiyaphum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chaiyaphum 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 Chaiyaphum 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 Chaiyaphum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.