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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,164 in Koh Lipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $3,649 in Koh Lipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $5,134 in Koh Lipe.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 21% less than in Koh Lipe, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Koh Lipe 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$7.35 ฿242

9.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$52.1 ฿1,712

-7.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$14.24 ฿468

-31.39%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$4.51 ฿148

-35.48%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$1.36 ฿44.79

42.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.78 ฿25.56

94.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$3.88 ฿128

-20.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$5.99 ฿197

-4.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$2.28 ฿75.1

-40.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.78 ฿58.4

34.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.91 ฿62.7

-10.99%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$2.75 ฿90.3

4.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$24.46 ฿804

-59.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$4.32 ฿142

149.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$13.99 ฿460

5.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$3.80 ฿125

7.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$2.05 ฿67.4

-23.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$2.91 ฿95.6

-26.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$2.70 ฿88.9

-18.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$1.92 ฿63.1

6.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.69 ฿55.6

-11.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.37 ฿44.99

-13.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.67 ฿22.11

73.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.37 ฿176

-27.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$23.02 ฿757

-37.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$2.31 ฿75.8

-31.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$3.58 ฿118

-20.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$3.33 ฿110

-64.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$4.56 ฿150

-71.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$1.63 ฿53.6

28.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$5.68 ฿187

51.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$2.15 ฿70.7

-39.53%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$40.0K ฿1.3M

-30.86%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$40.9K ฿1.3M

-13.18%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$119 ฿3,919

47.71%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$12.66 ฿416

5.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$20.00 ฿657

49.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$65.6 ฿2,158

-31.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$13.96 ฿459

22.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$9.86 ฿324

-37.12%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$705 ฿23.2K

12.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$14.3K ฿471.8K

-37.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$67.8 ฿2,228

26.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$30.25 ฿995

93.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$101 ฿3,322

34.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$92.7 ฿3,048

11.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$1,859 ฿61.1K

-43.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$1,232 ฿40.5K

-44.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$5,182 ฿170.4K

-61.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$3,105 ฿102.1K

-62.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$8,981 ฿295.3K

-54.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$6,490 ฿213.4K

-73.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Koh Lipe: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $1,859 in Koh Lipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $52.0 in Koh Lipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $340 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 Lipe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Koh Lipe. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,574 in Medellin and $3,247 in Koh Lipe 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $1,859 in Koh Lipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $705 in Koh Lipe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $52.0 in Koh Lipe. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,164 in Koh Lipe, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Koh Lipe. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Koh Lipe 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Koh Lipe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.