Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chanthaburi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chanthaburi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $969 in Chanthaburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,640 in Chanthaburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,312 in Chanthaburi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 73% more expensive than in Chanthaburi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Chanthaburi is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$1.18 ฿39.18

579.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$36.09 ฿1,201

32.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$6.97 ฿232

41.89%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$1.49 ฿49.69

110.07%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.52 ฿17.39

267.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.29 ฿9.54

420.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.69 ฿56.2

84.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$4.63 ฿154

24.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.52 ฿50.6

-5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.52 ฿50.6

63.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$0.92 ฿30.70

92.39%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$2.08 ฿69.2

42.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$17.79 ฿592

-43.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$3.63 ฿121

178.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$14.49 ฿482

-1.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$4.07 ฿135

1.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.77 ฿58.8

-9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$2.87 ฿95.5

-21.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.98 ฿66.0

13.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$1.18 ฿39.37

72.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.56 ฿52.0

-1.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.26 ฿41.99

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.58 ฿19.16

125.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$4.56 ฿152

-14.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$14.82 ฿493

-5.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.73 ฿57.5

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$3.19 ฿106

-10.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.93 ฿30.80

31.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$88.6 ฿2,949

-9.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$1.02 ฿33.91

28.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$1.08 ฿35.91

102.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$5.97 ฿199

45.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.21 ฿40.17

13.22%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$31.0K ฿1.0M

-10.34%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$24.0K ฿800.4K

48.78%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$105 ฿3,485

69.39%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$3.53 ฿117

293.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$10.74 ฿358

176.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$47.48 ฿1,581

-5.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$14.45 ฿481

18.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$5.46 ฿182

21.79%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$545 ฿18.1K

49.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$17.1K ฿567.6K

-46.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$7.31 ฿244

1124.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$35.97 ฿1,197

63.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$70.5 ฿2,346

96.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$21.21 ฿706

381.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$458 ฿15.3K

131.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$301 ฿10.0K

120.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,219 ฿40.6K

54.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$852 ฿28.4K

20.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$2,149 ฿71.5K

94.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,394 ฿46.4K

20.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

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 Chanthaburi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $458 in Chanthaburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Chanthaburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $273 per month, with Chanthaburi 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 Chanthaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Chanthaburi differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $969 including rent). Chanthaburi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,454 in Chanthaburi 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 $458 in Chanthaburi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chanthaburi runs roughly 10% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $545 in Chanthaburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $969 in Chanthaburi versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chanthaburi but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chanthaburi 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 Chanthaburi 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 Chanthaburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.