Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Khlong Luang Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Khlong Luang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $974 in Khlong Luang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,632 in Khlong Luang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,290 in Khlong Luang.

Living in Medellin is roughly 68% more expensive than in Khlong Luang, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Khlong Luang is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.39 ฿112

137.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$37.08 ฿1,225

30.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.32 ฿308

1.07%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.12 ฿70.0

38.68%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.75 ฿24.83

148.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.30 ฿9.75

386.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.38 ฿78.8

34.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.82 ฿93.1

102.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.79 ฿59.0

-19.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.46 ฿48.12

64.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.37 ฿45.25

24.09%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.15 ฿71.0

34.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$15.56 ฿514

-35.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$2.60 ฿85.8

283.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.18 ฿336

39.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.56 ฿118

11.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.30 ฿42.86

21.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.92 ฿63.4

11.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$2.01 ฿66.4

14.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.23 ฿40.55

62.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.05 ฿34.70

43.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.28 ฿42.42

-6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.49 ฿16.28

161.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.39 ฿145

-12.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$17.89 ฿591

-21.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.79 ฿59.0

-4.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.93 ฿96.7

-6.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.82 ฿26.97

52.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.35 ฿44.44

-2.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.12 ฿36.99

93.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$3.73 ฿123

122.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.52 ฿50.4

-10.53%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$45.9K ฿1.5M

-40.09%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$27.5K ฿909.8K

32.68%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$95.3 ฿3,148

77.08%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$11.73 ฿388

15.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$19.20 ฿634

47.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$54.3 ฿1,795

-15.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$15.87 ฿524

8.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.70 ฿254

-13.64%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$633 ฿20.9K

26.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$14.4K ฿474.1K

-35.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$52.1 ฿1,721

67.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$29.99 ฿991

97.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$97.1 ฿3,209

43.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$76.7 ฿2,533

33.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$486 ฿16.0K

120.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$288 ฿9,523

126.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,232 ฿40.7K

56.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$798 ฿26.4K

31.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,918 ฿63.4K

114.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,627 ฿53.8K

4.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.96

83.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Khlong Luang: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $486 in Khlong Luang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $37.00 in Khlong Luang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $247 per month, with Khlong Luang 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 Khlong Luang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khlong Luang is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,462 in Khlong Luang to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $486 in Khlong Luang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $974 in Khlong Luang – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $974 in Khlong Luang versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Khlong Luang but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Khlong Luang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Khlong Luang is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Khlong Luang 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 Khlong Luang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.