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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $883 in Chanthaburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,411 in Chanthaburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,938 in Chanthaburi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 17% more expensive than Chanthaburi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Chanthaburi 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$1.21 ฿39.65

389.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$31.25 ฿1,022

4.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.30 ฿206

14.29%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.50 ฿49.14

13.33%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.57 ฿18.57

92.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.29 ฿9.60

148.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.77 ฿58.0

-5.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.98 ฿130

-22.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.58 ฿51.7

-32.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.35 ฿44.05

-7.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$0.93 ฿30.47

49.46%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.15 ฿70.4

5.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$18.28 ฿598

-76.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.01 ฿98.3

94.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$9.23 ฿302

-4.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$3.42 ฿112

-34.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.79 ฿58.7

-39.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$2.21 ฿72.3

-30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.86 ฿60.8

-26.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.22 ฿39.93

-7.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.45 ฿47.35

-22.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.02 ฿33.43

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.52 ฿17.10

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.33 ฿142

-46.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$16.96 ฿555

-34.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.74 ฿56.8

-31.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$3.34 ฿109

-29.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.90 ฿29.36

-12.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$31.04 ฿1,015

32.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.11 ฿36.32

29.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.99 ฿32.40

92.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$6.25 ฿204

28.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.23 ฿40.27

-23.58%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$37.7K ฿1.2M

-52.44%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$24.1K ฿789.7K

10.94%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$87.8 ฿2,872

-4.41%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$3.79 ฿124

153.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$10.69 ฿350

126.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$49.71 ฿1,626

-47.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$12.04 ฿394

58.14%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$5.48 ฿179

-28.47%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$598 ฿19.6K

-48.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$13.1K ฿426.7K

-54.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$7.62 ฿249

659.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$37.09 ฿1,213

-14.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$69.8 ฿2,282

43.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$21.98 ฿719

387.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$422 ฿13.8K

15.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$284 ฿9,273

29.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$813 ฿26.6K

1.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$662 ฿21.6K

8.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,137 ฿69.9K

36.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,529 ฿50.0K

-7.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chanthaburi: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $422 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 $190 vs $251, 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 17% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $883 including rent). Chanthaburi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $1,324 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: $487 in Medellin versus $422 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 33% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $598 in Chanthaburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $883 in Chanthaburi versus $1,034 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 17% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.