Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Koh Chang

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Chang: $1,021 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Koh Chang, Thailand
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Koh Chang
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,021
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Koh Chang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Koh Chang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,021 in Koh Chang, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Koh Chang $1,021

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,720 in Koh Chang, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Koh Chang $1,720

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,418 in Koh Chang, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Koh Chang $2,418

Medellin costs about 61% more than Koh Chang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Koh Chang is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Koh Chang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$3.47 ฿117
133.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$26.30 ฿888
78.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$7.04 ฿238
34.94%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$2.18 ฿73.5
38.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$0.75 ฿25.33
140.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$0.37 ฿12.35
281.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$2.00 ฿67.7
59.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$3.00 ฿101
91.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Koh Chang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$1.48 ฿50.0
2.03%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$1.25 ฿42.31
90.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$1.37 ฿46.39
29.20%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$1.89 ฿63.7
52.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$17.29 ฿584
-41.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$3.05 ฿103
223.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$10.19 ฿344
37.29%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$2.68 ฿90.6
48.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$1.53 ฿51.7
1.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$1.95 ฿65.9
11.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$1.85 ฿62.4
17.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$1.29 ฿43.65
51.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$1.24 ฿41.72
28.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$1.01 ฿34.04
13.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.49 ฿16.67
153.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$3.77 ฿127
5.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$16.75 ฿565
-18.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$1.56 ฿52.7
6.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
$2.46 ฿83.0
-8.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Koh Chang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
$1.21 ฿40.91
-3.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$38.34 ฿1,294
101.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$2.43 ฿81.9
-47.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$0.85 ฿28.77
141.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$2.93 ฿98.9
191.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$1.14 ฿38.48
18.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$21.7K ฿733.1K
56.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$20.9K ฿707.0K
65.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Koh Chang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$94.6 ฿3,191
79.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$10.67 ฿360
26.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$16.02 ฿541
75.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Koh Chang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$58.0 ฿1,957
-24.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$9.00 ฿304
91.00%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$6.49 ฿219
6.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Koh Chang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$422 ฿14.3K
88.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$10.2K ฿343.5K
-10.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Koh Chang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$60.3 ฿2,036
40.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$26.66 ฿900
117.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$89.3 ฿3,015
51.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$81.5 ฿2,751
20.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Koh Chang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$469 ฿15.8K
157.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$327 ฿11.0K
96.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$1,292 ฿43.6K
56.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$917 ฿31.0K
10.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$2,704 ฿91.2K
54.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$1,904 ฿64.3K
0.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Koh Chang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Koh Chang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Koh Chang
$327 49% $315
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Koh Chang
$240 19.1% $57
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Koh Chang
$121 42.6% $90
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Koh Chang
$95 43.7% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Koh Chang
$116 31.3% $53
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Koh Chang
$50 46.7% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Koh Chang
$71 23.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $469 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 $47 in Medellin versus $26 in Koh Chang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $240 – making Koh Chang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇹🇭 Koh Chang
🕒 Local time
04:06 4:06 AM
16:06 4:06 PM
12 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
8,500
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Koh Chang 17,970 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Koh Chang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
How do living costs in Medellin and in Koh Chang compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $1,021 in Koh Chang – Koh Chang comes out roughly 38% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Koh Chang?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,531 in Koh Chang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and Koh Chang?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Koh Chang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $469 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 24% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $26 in Koh Chang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How far does $2,000 go in Medellin compared to Koh Chang?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,021 in Koh Chang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Medellin or Koh Chang?
Families tend to lean toward Koh Chang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Where should expats move: Medellin or Koh Chang?
For expats, Koh Chang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 38% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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