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: $1,716 in Medellin versus $824 in Chon Buri.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,380 in Chon Buri.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,936 in Chon Buri.

Living in Medellin is roughly 108% more expensive than in Chon Buri, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Chon Buri is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$2.04 ฿66.9

293.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$16.80 ฿552

187.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$7.49 ฿246

30.44%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$1.87 ฿61.4

55.61%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.71 ฿23.18

173.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.36 ฿11.68

322.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$1.80 ฿59.1

71.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$2.81 ฿92.5

104.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.52 ฿50.1

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.34 ฿43.96

78.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.32 ฿43.32

28.79%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.98 ฿65.1

44.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$12.99 ฿427

-23.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$2.53 ฿83.2

326.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$10.38 ฿341

41.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$3.52 ฿116

16.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.02 ฿33.44

53.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$2.43 ฿80.0

-12.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.62 ฿53.2

36.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$2.02 ฿66.3

1.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.10 ฿36.28

36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.85 ฿27.86

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.46 ฿14.98

152.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.66 ฿153

-16.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$14.26 ฿469

1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.71 ฿56.1

-7.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.59 ฿85.1

9.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.94 ฿30.78

24.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$1.25 ฿40.98

2.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$1.62 ฿53.2

29.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$3.97 ฿131

117.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.29 ฿42.52

0.78%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$25.0K ฿821.3K

10.69%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$22.7K ฿746.1K

56.44%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$85.1 ฿2,796

106.97%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$9.41 ฿309

42.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$22.56 ฿742

32.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$47.97 ฿1,577

-6.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$14.16 ฿466

20.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$6.82 ฿224

-9.09%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$724 ฿23.8K

9.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$11.1K ฿364.4K

-18.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$6.09 ฿200

1305.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$30.37 ฿998

92.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$74.1 ฿2,437

83.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$54.7 ฿1,796

88.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$529 ฿17.4K

100.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$262 ฿8,624

159.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,230 ฿40.4K

63.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$709 ฿23.3K

64.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$2,011 ฿66.1K

104.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,609 ฿52.9K

5.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$608 ฿20.0K

9.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

264.67%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chon Buri: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $529 in Chon Buri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $17.00 in Chon Buri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $225 per month, with Chon Buri cheaper across the board.

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 108% 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.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,060 in Medellin versus $529 in Chon Buri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $724 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 $17.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $824 in Chon Buri versus $1,716 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 $824 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 108% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.