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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Medellin versus $978 in Koh Lanta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Medellin versus $1,737 in Koh Lanta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Medellin versus $2,497 in Koh Lanta.

Living in Medellin is roughly 4% more expensive than Koh Lanta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Koh Lanta 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.2K

$3.77 ฿121

62.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.3K

$36.28 ฿1,163

-8.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$6.86 ฿220

6.71%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,987

$2.47 ฿79.2

-32.79%

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

$1.10 COP 3,987

$0.56 ฿17.94

96.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,822

$0.29 ฿9.23

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,188

$1.98 ฿63.5

-13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.5K

$2.90 ฿92.8

9.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,012

$1.95 ฿62.4

-43.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,719

$1.70 ฿54.6

-22.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,980

$2.05 ฿65.7

-32.68%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 8,009

$2.00 ฿64.0

11.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.7K

$17.35 ฿556

-74.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$3.23 ฿104

79.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.4K

$11.84 ฿379

-24.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,164

$2.90 ฿93.1

-22.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,023

$1.46 ฿46.72

-23.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,284

$2.14 ฿68.5

-31.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,929

$1.80 ฿57.8

-23.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,009

$1.39 ฿44.63

-20.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,199

$1.29 ฿41.36

-10.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,211

$0.87 ฿27.81

2.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,124

$0.43 ฿13.71

102.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,495

$3.92 ฿126

-40.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.2K

$17.63 ฿565

-38.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,330

$1.67 ฿53.5

-28.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,946

$2.45 ฿78.5

1.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,842

$1.14 ฿36.53

-30.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 147.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,137

$2.49 ฿80.0

-42.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,900

$0.78 ฿25.03

144.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$11.13 ฿357

-31.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,490

$1.08 ฿34.55

-10.19%

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

$18.1K COP 65.3M

$22.2K ฿711.0K

-18.39%

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

$26.3K COP 95.0M

$26.3K ฿842.4K

0.13%

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

$81.3 COP 293.5K

$116 ฿3,725

-30.03%

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

$9.63 COP 34.8K

$12.97 ฿416

-25.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 88.0K

$17.34 ฿556

40.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.9K

$50.9 ฿1,633

-48.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.3K

$14.15 ฿454

33.71%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$7.66 ฿246

-49.22%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$630 ฿20.2K

-51.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$14.5K ฿465.3K

-59.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.8K

$56.4 ฿1,810

3.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.2K

$32.77 ฿1,051

-0.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 367.3K

$107 ฿3,441

-5.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 390.4K

$79.2 ฿2,538

36.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$364 ฿11.7K

30.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$266 ฿8,519

39.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$1,217 ฿39.0K

-30.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$908 ฿29.1K

-21.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.4M

$2,234 ฿71.6K

28.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

$1,585 ฿50.8K

-13.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.33

151.97%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Last update for Koh Lanta: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Medellin and $364 in Koh Lanta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $36 in Koh Lanta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $261 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 Koh Lanta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Koh Lanta differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,014 vs $978 including rent). Koh Lanta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,522 in Medellin and $1,467 in Koh Lanta 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: $474 in Medellin versus $364 in Koh Lanta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Medellin versus $630 in Koh Lanta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Lanta – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $978 in Koh Lanta versus $1,014 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koh Lanta but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Lanta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Koh Lanta 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 Koh Lanta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.