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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $753 in Hat Yai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,336 in Hat Yai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,918 in Hat Yai.

Living in Medellin is roughly 37% more expensive than Hat Yai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Hat Yai 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.15 ฿103

87.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$46.81 ฿1,531

-30.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$4.35 ฿142

65.52%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.68 ฿87.6

-36.57%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.16 ฿37.77

-5.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.44 ฿14.49

63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.82 ฿59.4

-8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.78 ฿124

-17.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.50 ฿49.20

-29.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.28 ฿41.75

-2.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.33 ฿43.58

4.51%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.46 ฿80.6

-8.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$22.82 ฿746

-81.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$2.36 ฿77.2

147.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$11.78 ฿385

-25.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.66 ฿87.0

-15.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.42 ฿46.57

-23.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.96 ฿64.0

-21.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.55 ฿50.6

-11.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.53 ฿50.1

-26.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.07 ฿34.89

4.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.50 ฿49.04

-43.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.36 ฿11.77

152.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.57 ฿149

-49.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$15.32 ฿501

-27.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.80 ฿58.8

-33.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.97 ฿64.4

20.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.63 ฿20.75

25.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.06 ฿34.61

35.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.16 ฿37.82

64.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$6.07 ฿198

32.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.30 ฿42.59

-27.69%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$19.5K ฿637.1K

-8.01%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$46.3K ฿1.5M

-42.10%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$87.3 ฿2,854

-3.81%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$13.48 ฿441

-28.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$9.85 ฿322

145.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$49.18 ฿1,608

-47.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$11.99 ฿392

58.80%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$7.33 ฿240

-46.52%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$294 ฿9,618

4.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$9,758 ฿319.1K

-39.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$39.00 ฿1,275

48.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$27.31 ฿893

16.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$71.4 ฿2,334

39.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$71.4 ฿2,336

49.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$277 ฿9,064

75.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$115 ฿3,750

220.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$753 ฿24.6K

9.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$404 ฿13.2K

77.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,198 ฿71.9K

33.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,351 ฿44.2K

4.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$473 ฿15.5K

15.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.36

111.16%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $277 in Hat Yai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 15% 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 $47.00 in Hat Yai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $257 per month, with Medellin 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 Hat Yai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 37% 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.

Medellin pays 15% more on average, 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: $487 in Medellin versus $277 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $294 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 $47.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $753 in Hat Yai versus $1,034 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 $753 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 37% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.