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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $964 in Koh Lanta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,562 in Koh Lanta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,159 in Koh Lanta.

Living in Medellin is roughly 74% more expensive than in Koh Lanta, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Koh Lanta is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$3.51 ฿117

128.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$25.88 ฿860

84.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$7.19 ฿239

37.55%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.31 ฿76.8

35.50%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.67 ฿22.37

185.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.37 ฿12.17

308.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$1.98 ฿65.8

57.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.96 ฿98.3

94.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.69 ฿56.2

-14.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.27 ฿42.08

96.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.42 ฿47.32

24.65%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.92 ฿64.0

54.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$17.83 ฿593

-43.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$3.04 ฿101

232.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$10.02 ฿333

42.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.72 ฿90.5

52.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.47 ฿49.02

9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.99 ฿66.3

13.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.90 ฿63.1

18.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.33 ฿44.32

53.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.25 ฿41.41

23.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.98 ฿32.74

19.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.49 ฿16.25

167.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$3.89 ฿129

0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$17.12 ฿569

-18.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.67 ฿55.6

4.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.52 ฿83.7

13.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.84 ฿61.2

-33.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$2.46 ฿81.8

-46.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.82 ฿27.38

167.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$3.16 ฿105

175.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.15 ฿38.10

19.13%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$21.7K ฿723.1K

27.99%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$21.8K ฿723.9K

64.31%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$95.6 ฿3,178

85.52%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$10.59 ฿352

31.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$16.68 ฿554

78.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$45.24 ฿1,504

-0.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$9.66 ฿321

77.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$6.45 ฿214

3.10%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$502 ฿16.7K

62.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$10.6K ฿353.1K

-13.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$60.4 ฿2,007

48.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$27.80 ฿924

112.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$91.8 ฿3,052

50.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$85.1 ฿2,828

20.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$436 ฿14.5K

143.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$299 ฿9,957

121.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,289 ฿42.9K

46.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$722 ฿24.0K

42.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$2,172 ฿72.2K

92.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,531 ฿50.9K

9.39%

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 Lanta: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $436 in Koh Lanta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $26.00 in Koh Lanta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $246 per month, with Koh Lanta 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 74% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $964 including rent). Koh Lanta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,446 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $436 in Koh Lanta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $502 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 $26.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $964 in Koh Lanta versus $1,681 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 74% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.