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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $746 in Chon Buri.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,284 in Chon Buri.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,821 in Chon Buri.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than in Chon Buri, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Chon Buri 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$2.01 ฿67.7

206.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$18.45 ฿620

76.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.12 ฿206

19.93%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.88 ฿63.3

-8.51%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.67 ฿22.67

56.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.51 ฿17.16

50.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.87 ฿62.9

-9.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.80 ฿128

-16.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.41 ฿47.33

-25.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.40 ฿47.22

-7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.06 ฿35.54

32.08%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.89 ฿63.5

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$13.59 ฿457

-67.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$1.97 ฿66.2

198.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.96 ฿369

-21.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$2.41 ฿80.9

-5.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$0.76 ฿25.49

46.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.88 ฿63.2

-18.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.57 ฿52.7

-14.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.62 ฿54.5

-30.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.28 ฿42.89

-11.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.75 ฿25.14

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.43 ฿14.33

111.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$4.58 ฿154

-48.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$14.42 ฿485

-14.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.67 ฿56.2

-28.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$3.53 ฿119

-29.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.96 ฿32.42

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.11 ฿37.30

27.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.72 ฿24.15

166.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$5.50 ฿185

39.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.30 ฿43.76

-23.85%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$19.9K ฿670.1K

-9.51%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$21.0K ฿705.2K

26.99%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$73.9 ฿2,485

9.35%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$13.29 ฿447

-25.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$18.13 ฿610

33.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$50.2 ฿1,688

-50.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$12.07 ฿406

58.66%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$3.17 ฿107

25.55%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$138 ฿4,654

120.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$15.8K ฿530.1K

-61.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$19.64 ฿661

195.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$24.76 ฿833

30.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$60.4 ฿2,032

66.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$58.4 ฿1,963

84.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$549 ฿18.5K

-13.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$218 ฿7,334

72.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$814 ฿27.4K

3.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$662 ฿22.3K

10.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$791 ฿26.6K

73.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$598 ฿20.1K

3.18%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chon Buri: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $549 in Chon Buri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 3% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $18.00 in Chon Buri. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 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 38% 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 3% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $549 in Chon Buri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $138 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 $18.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $746 in Chon Buri versus $1,031 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 $746 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 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.