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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $958 in Koh Lanta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,708 in Koh Lanta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,458 in Koh Lanta.

Living in Medellin is roughly 6% more expensive than Koh Lanta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Koh Lanta 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$3.79 ฿124

58.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$36.38 ฿1,188

-9.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$7.00 ฿229

1.29%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$2.39 ฿78.0

-28.45%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.55 ฿17.98

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.29 ฿9.33

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$1.92 ฿62.6

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.91 ฿95.2

5.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$2.01 ฿65.8

-45.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$1.72 ฿56.1

-26.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$2.04 ฿66.7

-32.35%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$2.07 ฿67.5

5.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$17.32 ฿566

-74.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$3.24 ฿106

73.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$11.84 ฿387

-24.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$3.03 ฿98.9

-22.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.46 ฿47.75

-27.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$2.13 ฿69.6

-29.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$1.81 ฿59.0

-23.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$1.44 ฿47.01

-20.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$1.30 ฿42.43

-10.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.92 ฿30.15

-3.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.46 ฿15.11

82.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$3.88 ฿127

-41.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$17.27 ฿564

-38.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$1.61 ฿52.6

-25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$2.52 ฿82.2

-1.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$1.08 ฿35.18

-20.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$2.47 ฿80.8

-40.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.83 ฿27.26

136.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$10.95 ฿358

-29.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.08 ฿35.20

-12.04%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$21.9K ฿716.7K

-17.37%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$26.6K ฿869.2K

-0.48%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$118 ฿3,859

-30.39%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$13.25 ฿433

-28.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$17.75 ฿580

36.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$52.2 ฿1,706

-50.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$14.19 ฿463

33.90%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$7.82 ฿255

-49.74%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$633 ฿20.7K

-51.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$14.4K ฿470.1K

-58.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$56.3 ฿1,840

4.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$33.56 ฿1,096

-3.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$107 ฿3,493

-4.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$81.9 ฿2,674

32.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$365 ฿11.9K

30.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$263 ฿8,601

43.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,256 ฿41.0K

-33.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$902 ฿29.5K

-19.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$2,244 ฿73.3K

24.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,598 ฿52.2K

-24.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Koh Lanta: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $365 in Koh Lanta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Koh Lanta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $263 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 6% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $958 including rent). Koh Lanta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,436 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: $476 in Medellin versus $365 in Koh Lanta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $633 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 $958 in Koh Lanta versus $1,013 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 6% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.