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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $747 in Hat Yai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,339 in Hat Yai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,930 in Hat Yai.

Living in Medellin is roughly 36% more expensive than Hat Yai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Hat Yai 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$3.03 ฿98.5

96.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$46.90 ฿1,527

-28.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.22 ฿137

71.33%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.80 ฿91.1

-41.79%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.16 ฿37.70

-6.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.44 ฿14.46

65.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.87 ฿60.9

-6.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$3.65 ฿119

-11.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.53 ฿49.78

-31.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.29 ฿42.15

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.29 ฿42.01

2.33%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.55 ฿83.1

-10.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$22.59 ฿736

-80.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$2.32 ฿75.5

153.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$11.32 ฿369

-23.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.60 ฿84.5

-13.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.50 ฿48.76

-28.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.04 ฿66.6

-25.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.58 ฿51.4

-10.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.48 ฿48.22

-20.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.07 ฿34.69

9.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.01 ฿33.01

-11.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.38 ฿12.46

136.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$4.57 ฿149

-50.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$15.17 ฿494

-27.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.83 ฿59.7

-37.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.97 ฿64.2

20.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.59 ฿19.30

42.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.07 ฿34.73

31.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.20 ฿38.93

58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$6.19 ฿202

25.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.31 ฿42.77

-22.90%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$19.5K ฿633.6K

-9.64%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$46.7K ฿1.5M

-43.32%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$87.8 ฿2,860

-4.73%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$13.53 ฿441

-30.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$10.04 ฿327

140.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$48.52 ฿1,580

-47.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$12.16 ฿396

57.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$7.34 ฿239

-44.14%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$298 ฿9,697

4.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$9,475 ฿308.6K

-36.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$38.13 ฿1,242

52.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$28.01 ฿912

16.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$72.6 ฿2,365

37.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$70.3 ฿2,291

54.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$272 ฿8,849

77.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$111 ฿3,614

242.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$762 ฿24.8K

9.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$406 ฿13.2K

78.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$2,004 ฿65.3K

41.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,494 ฿48.7K

-18.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$474 ฿15.5K

13.99%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $272 in Hat Yai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 14% 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 $254 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 36% 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 14% 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: $482 in Medellin versus $272 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $298 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 $747 in Hat Yai versus $1,017 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 $747 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 36% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.