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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $879 in Chanthaburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,412 in Chanthaburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,944 in Chanthaburi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 14% more expensive than in Chanthaburi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Chanthaburi 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 19.1K

$1.25 ฿41.80

372.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 106.5K

$31.05 ฿1,037

6.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 24.0K

$6.32 ฿211

17.56%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,343

$1.56 ฿52.2

5.77%

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

$1.10 COP 3,559

$0.57 ฿18.87

92.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,523

$0.27 ฿8.99

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,553

$1.74 ฿58.1

-1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$3.94 ฿132

-19.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,565

$1.51 ฿50.5

-27.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,066

$1.33 ฿44.58

-5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,463

$0.89 ฿29.65

55.06%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 7,038

$2.20 ฿73.3

-0.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.5K

$18.37 ฿614

-75.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.7K

$3.08 ฿103

87.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 29.0K

$9.10 ฿304

-1.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,499

$3.44 ฿115

-32.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,440

$1.71 ฿57.0

-38.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,899

$2.28 ฿76.1

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,381

$1.93 ฿64.4

-29.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,645

$1.17 ฿38.98

-3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,785

$1.47 ฿49.18

-20.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,912

$0.98 ฿32.89

-8.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,897

$0.52 ฿17.44

73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,218

$4.35 ฿145

-48.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 39.2K

$17.83 ฿596

-32.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,841

$1.83 ฿61.3

-34.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,020

$3.31 ฿111

-25.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,758

$0.96 ฿32.06

-11.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 134.5K

$31.09 ฿1,038

33.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,575

$1.06 ฿35.47

33.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,302

$0.99 ฿33.14

96.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.5K

$6.04 ฿202

30.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,200

$1.19 ฿39.76

-16.81%

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

$17.6K COP 56.9M

$37.4K ฿1.2M

-52.91%

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

$26.8K COP 86.6M

$25.1K ฿836.9K

6.95%

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

$83.0 COP 268.2K

$89.6 ฿2,994

-7.39%

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

$9.70 COP 31.3K

$3.76 ฿126

157.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 76.0K

$10.66 ฿356

120.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 81.6K

$48.72 ฿1,627

-48.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 61.7K

$12.38 ฿413

54.28%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.8K

$5.62 ฿188

-29.72%

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

$316 COP 1.0M

$599 ฿20.0K

-47.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.3M

$13.4K ฿447.1K

-55.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 193.8K

$7.76 ฿259

673.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 102.8K

$36.76 ฿1,228

-13.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 328.5K

$70.6 ฿2,356

44.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 347.2K

$21.54 ฿719

398.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$417 ฿13.9K

13.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$289 ฿9,669

29.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$818 ฿27.3K

3.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$657 ฿21.9K

9.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.5M

$1,777 ฿59.4K

83.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.7M

$1,758 ฿58.7K

-18.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

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 Chanthaburi: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $417 in Chanthaburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $31.00 in Chanthaburi. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $253, 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 Chanthaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Chanthaburi differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,003 vs $879 including rent). Chanthaburi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,504 in Medellin and $1,319 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: $475 in Medellin versus $417 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 34% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $599 in Chanthaburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $879 in Chanthaburi versus $1,003 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 14% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.