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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $883 in Chanthaburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,425 in Chanthaburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,967 in Chanthaburi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 15% more expensive than Chanthaburi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Chanthaburi 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$1.20 ฿38.97

395.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$30.42 ฿991

9.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$6.28 ฿205

15.13%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.50 ฿48.82

8.67%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.53 ฿17.41

105.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.29 ฿9.54

151.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.80 ฿58.7

-3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$3.93 ฿128

-17.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.51 ฿49.31

-30.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.38 ฿44.98

-6.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.95 ฿30.89

38.95%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.20 ฿71.5

3.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$18.09 ฿589

-75.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$2.96 ฿96.5

98.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$9.55 ฿311

-9.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$3.50 ฿114

-35.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.72 ฿56.1

-37.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.32 ฿75.4

-34.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.90 ฿61.8

-25.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.18 ฿38.31

-0.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.45 ฿47.16

-19.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.98 ฿31.92

-9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.49 ฿15.95

83.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$4.32 ฿141

-47.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$15.42 ฿502

-28.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.81 ฿59.1

-37.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$3.39 ฿110

-29.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.96 ฿31.42

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$30.16 ฿982

39.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.09 ฿35.66

29.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.05 ฿34.05

80.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$5.98 ฿195

29.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.25 ฿40.76

-19.20%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$37.5K ฿1.2M

-53.16%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$24.4K ฿794.3K

8.64%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$89.2 ฿2,905

-6.19%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$3.73 ฿122

153.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$10.62 ฿346

127.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$48.85 ฿1,591

-48.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$12.13 ฿395

57.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$5.62 ฿183

-27.05%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$595 ฿19.4K

-47.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$13.3K ฿434.5K

-55.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$7.48 ฿243

675.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$36.71 ฿1,196

-11.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$69.7 ฿2,268

43.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$21.93 ฿714

394.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$429 ฿14.0K

12.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$287 ฿9,359

32.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$807 ฿26.3K

3.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$651 ฿21.2K

10.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$2,079 ฿67.7K

36.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,274 ฿41.5K

-4.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Chanthaburi: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $429 in Chanthaburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $30.00 in Chanthaburi. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 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 Chanthaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Chanthaburi differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,017 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 $1,525 in Medellin and $1,325 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: $482 in Medellin versus $429 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 39% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $595 in Chanthaburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $883 in Chanthaburi versus $1,017 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 15% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.