Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hat Yai Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hat Yai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,687 in Medellin versus $736 in Hat Yai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $1,330 in Hat Yai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $1,923 in Hat Yai.

Living in Medellin is roughly 129% more expensive than in Hat Yai, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Hat Yai is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$3.05 ฿100

158.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$45.98 ฿1,509

-3.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$3.80 ฿125

144.47%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$2.80 ฿91.8

3.57%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$1.33 ฿43.61

36.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.54 ฿17.74

187.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$1.77 ฿58.0

83.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$3.71 ฿122

58.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.48 ฿48.58

-6.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$1.22 ฿40.06

100.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$1.32 ฿43.22

14.39%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$2.47 ฿81.2

12.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$22.86 ฿750

-60.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$2.41 ฿79.1

341.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$11.31 ฿371

29.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$2.62 ฿86.0

51.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.40 ฿45.88

-1.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$2.00 ฿65.6

15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$1.72 ฿56.3

17.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$1.53 ฿50.3

36.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$1.08 ฿35.44

50.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$1.54 ฿50.6

-29.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.40 ฿13.17

212.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$4.47 ฿147

-9.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$15.34 ฿503

-12.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.75 ฿57.5

-8.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$1.94 ฿63.8

54.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$0.59 ฿19.22

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$1.18 ฿38.59

36.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$1.15 ฿37.70

85.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$4.01 ฿131

112.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.36 ฿44.68

-0.74%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$18.6K ฿611.0K

52.11%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$45.8K ฿1.5M

-21.99%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$85.9 ฿2,819

76.21%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$12.52 ฿411

4.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$9.93 ฿326

225.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$47.73 ฿1,566

-2.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$14.31 ฿470

20.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$7.60 ฿249

-15.39%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$575 ฿18.9K

45.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$11.3K ฿369.3K

-21.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$38.50 ฿1,263

132.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$27.17 ฿892

103.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$71.3 ฿2,339

91.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$99.8 ฿3,274

9.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$270 ฿8,868

252.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$113 ฿3,717

489.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$732 ฿24.0K

175.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$400 ฿13.1K

186.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$2,002 ฿65.7K

84.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$1,592 ฿52.2K

-0.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$466 ฿15.3K

34.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

6.36

63.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $270 in Hat Yai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 34% 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: $45.00 in Medellin vs $46.00 in Hat Yai. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $256, with Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 129% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hat Yai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 34% 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: $952 in Medellin versus $270 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $835 in Medellin versus $575 in Hat Yai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hat Yai – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $45.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $736 in Hat Yai versus $1,687 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hat Yai but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Hat Yai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hat Yai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $736 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hat Yai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.