Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chon Buri

For one person, living is cheaper in Chon Buri: $814 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Chon Buri
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Chon Buri Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Chon Buri

🇹🇭 Thailand

$814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chon Buri

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 Chon Buri actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $814 in Chon Buri.

Medellin $1,625
Chon Buri $814

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $1,358 in Chon Buri.

Medellin $2,412
Chon Buri $1,358

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $1,903 in Chon Buri.

Medellin $3,199
Chon Buri $1,903

Living in Medellin is roughly 100% more expensive than in Chon Buri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Chon Buri is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$1.88 ฿63.0

341.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$16.18 ฿541

189.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$7.67 ฿256

20.47%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.77 ฿59.1

72.32%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.74 ฿24.75

143.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.35 ฿11.60

294.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.77 ฿59.3

83.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$2.90 ฿96.8

91.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.49 ฿49.76

0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.30 ฿43.31

82.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.22 ฿40.78

39.34%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.92 ฿64.2

54.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$12.38 ฿414

-17.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$2.44 ฿81.5

299.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$10.33 ฿345

34.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.56 ฿119

16.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$0.93 ฿31.14

64.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.45 ฿81.9

-9.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.63 ฿54.4

39.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.99 ฿66.5

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.04 ฿34.82

60.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.75 ฿25.22

57.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.45 ฿15.01

175.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$4.35 ฿146

-11.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$13.97 ฿467

-1.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.61 ฿53.8

3.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.80 ฿60.2

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.99 ฿33.10

25.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.31 ฿77.3

-44.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.52 ฿50.9

41.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$6.10 ฿204

37.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.32 ฿44.07

2.27%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$26.6K ฿889.2K

30.65%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$22.2K ฿743.1K

55.99%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$83.6 ฿2,795

99.29%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$9.07 ฿303

50.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$23.73 ฿793

22.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$46.24 ฿1,545

-2.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$13.98 ฿467

22.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$6.56 ฿219

6.25%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$727 ฿24.3K

8.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$11.0K ฿367.4K

-17.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$6.05 ฿202

1351.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$36.20 ฿1,210

60.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$72.8 ฿2,431

91.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$54.7 ฿1,828

80.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$531 ฿17.8K

93.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$251 ฿8,398

146.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,096 ฿36.6K

71.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$721 ฿24.1K

39.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,662 ฿55.6K

139.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,462 ฿48.9K

16.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$590 ฿19.7K

12.40%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chon Buri: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Chon Buri

$251 30.9% 59.4% $368

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Chon Buri

$218 26.8% 26.8% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Chon Buri

$116 14.3% 44.4% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Chon Buri

$76 9.4% 55.8% $96

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Chon Buri

$78 9.6% 54.2% $93

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Chon Buri

$14 * 1.7% 85.4% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Chon Buri

$59 7.3% 0.6% $0.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $531 in Chon Buri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 12% 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: $47.00 in Medellin vs $16.00 in Chon Buri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $218 per month, with Chon Buri cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇭 Chon Buri

🕒 Local time

08:23 8:23 AM

20:23 8:23 PM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

70,364

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Chon Buri 17,800 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Chon Buri

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 Chon Buri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chon Buri wins on cost – living expenses run 100% 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 12% 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $531 in Chon Buri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $727 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 $16.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $814 in Chon Buri versus $1,625 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 $814 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 100% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.