Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chon Buri Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chon Buri

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $756 in Chon Buri.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,289 in Chon Buri.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,821 in Chon Buri.

Living in Medellin is roughly 34% more expensive than Chon Buri, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Chon Buri 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$1.99 ฿64.9

201.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$18.81 ฿615

74.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.05 ฿198

17.19%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$1.89 ฿61.8

-9.52%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.63 ฿20.62

74.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.48 ฿15.59

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.82 ฿59.4

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$3.67 ฿120

-16.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.41 ฿46.19

-22.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.42 ฿46.44

-11.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$1.06 ฿34.81

30.19%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.92 ฿62.9

14.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$13.23 ฿433

-66.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$2.03 ฿66.2

177.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$10.70 ฿350

-16.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$2.43 ฿79.4

-3.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.76 ฿24.75

39.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.80 ฿58.8

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$1.56 ฿50.9

-11.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$1.61 ฿52.5

-28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$1.22 ฿39.80

-4.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.81 ฿26.38

9.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.46 ฿14.96

82.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$4.73 ฿155

-51.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$14.85 ฿485

-28.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.67 ฿54.6

-28.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$3.64 ฿119

-32.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.94 ฿30.67

-8.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.06 ฿34.57

38.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.77 ฿25.01

154.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$5.53 ฿181

39.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.35 ฿44.23

-29.63%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$19.9K ฿650.0K

-8.82%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$21.1K ฿690.3K

25.44%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$73.1 ฿2,389

12.55%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$12.89 ฿421

-26.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$18.54 ฿606

30.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$48.45 ฿1,584

-46.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$12.29 ฿402

54.60%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$3.06 ฿100

28.43%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$141 ฿4,593

120.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$16.0K ฿522.2K

-62.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$19.51 ฿638

200.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$24.30 ฿794

33.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$61.5 ฿2,011

66.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$58.4 ฿1,908

85.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$529 ฿17.3K

-10.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$217 ฿7,100

74.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$810 ฿26.5K

3.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$665 ฿21.7K

8.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$814 ฿26.6K

48.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$608 ฿19.9K

-15.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.17

117.67%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chon Buri: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $529 in Chon Buri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chon Buri pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $19.00 in Chon Buri. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $215, 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 Chon Buri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chon Buri wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chon Buri the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Chon Buri earns 19% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $529 in Chon Buri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $141 in Chon Buri. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chon Buri – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $756 in Chon Buri versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chon Buri but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chon Buri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chon Buri delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $756 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chon Buri hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Chon Buri 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 Chon Buri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.