Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Chiang Mai $1,903

Medellin costs about 76% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$2.29 ฿76.5

262.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$19.64 ฿656

138.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$5.61 ฿188

64.71%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.66 ฿55.6

83.73%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.70 ฿23.40

157.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.31 ฿10.24

345.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.41 ฿80.4

34.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.71 ฿124

49.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.95 ฿65.3

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.41 ฿47.03

68.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.31 ฿43.62

29.77%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.18 ฿72.9

35.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$16.65 ฿556

-38.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$2.76 ฿92.2

252.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$9.11 ฿304

52.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.39 ฿80.0

72.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.03 ฿34.26

48.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.63 ฿54.4

36.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.50 ฿50.0

51.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.29 ฿43.13

54.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.11 ฿37.03

50.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.72 ฿24.08

63.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.53 ฿17.59

133.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$4.31 ฿144

-10.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$17.95 ฿600

-23.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.58 ฿52.9

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.84 ฿95.0

-15.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.86 ฿28.86

44.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$53.3 ฿1,780

46.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.21 ฿40.29

5.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.57 ฿18.99

277.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$2.35 ฿78.6

256.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.44 ฿47.96

-6.25%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

67.69%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

29.42%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$62.3 ฿2,083

167.37%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$12.11 ฿405

12.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$19.94 ฿666

46.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$37.07 ฿1,239

21.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$3.78 ฿126

354.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$6.50 ฿217

7.23%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$793 ฿26.5K

-0.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-38.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$53.7 ฿1,796

63.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$24.62 ฿823

136.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$90.9 ฿3,036

52.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$71.1 ฿2,378

38.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$455 ฿15.2K

125.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$298 ฿9,954

108.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$908 ฿30.4K

107.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$554 ฿18.5K

81.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,931 ฿64.5K

106.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,445 ฿48.3K

17.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$591 ฿19.7K

12.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.57

96.41%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 51.9% $322

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 20.9% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 54.9% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 37.4% $65

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 54% $92

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 36.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 15.2% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 12% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

01:35 1:35 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

127,240

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Chiang Mai 17,170 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 76% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,625 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.