Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Koh Chang Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Koh Chang

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $970 in Koh Chang, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,577 in Koh Chang, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,185 in Koh Chang, rent included.

Medellin costs about 73% more than Koh Chang, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Koh Chang is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.56 ฿119

125.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$25.87 ฿864

85.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.08 ฿236

39.69%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.28 ฿76.1

37.28%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.66 ฿22.16

189.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.39 ฿13.04

287.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.89 ฿63.2

65.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.07 ฿102

87.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.64 ฿54.6

-12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.30 ฿43.44

91.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.45 ฿48.46

22.07%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.93 ฿64.4

53.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$17.45 ฿583

-42.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.12 ฿104

224.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$10.11 ฿338

41.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.58 ฿86.2

60.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.51 ฿50.4

6.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.02 ฿67.5

11.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.96 ฿65.5

14.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.38 ฿46.11

47.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.25 ฿41.77

23.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.02 ฿34.01

14.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.51 ฿17.08

156.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.96 ฿132

-1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$16.56 ฿553

-15.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.60 ฿53.5

8.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.55 ฿85.2

12.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.85 ฿61.9

-34.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.45 ฿81.8

-46.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.82 ฿27.52

167.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$3.16 ฿106

175.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.15 ฿38.53

19.13%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$21.8K ฿726.8K

27.85%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$21.2K ฿708.4K

68.56%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$97.1 ฿3,242

82.56%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$10.41 ฿347

33.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$16.70 ฿557

77.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$45.24 ฿1,510

-0.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$9.55 ฿319

79.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$6.36 ฿212

4.56%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$513 ฿17.1K

58.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$10.4K ฿347.0K

-11.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$60.3 ฿2,014

48.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$27.66 ฿923

113.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$93.2 ฿3,111

48.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$83.5 ฿2,788

22.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$474 ฿15.8K

124.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$323 ฿10.8K

105.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,368 ฿45.7K

38.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$803 ฿26.8K

27.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,283 ฿76.2K

83.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,679 ฿56.1K

-0.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.57

96.41%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Koh Chang: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $474 in Koh Chang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $26.00 in Koh Chang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $244 – making Koh Chang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Koh Chang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,681 in Medellin, $970 in Koh Chang – roughly 73% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,455 in Koh Chang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Koh Chang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $970 in Koh Chang. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $813 per month in Medellin and $513 in Koh Chang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Koh Chang, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Koh Chang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $970 in Koh Chang to $1,681 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Koh Chang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.