Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Koh Phangan

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Phangan: $1,018 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
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Koh Phangan Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Phangan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $1,018 in Koh Phangan.

Medellin $1,589
Koh Phangan $1,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $1,673 in Koh Phangan.

Medellin $2,364
Koh Phangan $1,673

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $2,328 in Koh Phangan.

Medellin $3,139
Koh Phangan $2,328

Living in Medellin is roughly 56% more expensive than in Koh Phangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Koh Phangan is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$4.05 ฿136

97.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 149.9K

$29.43 ฿989

58.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.4K

$7.59 ฿255

24.24%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,374

$2.50 ฿84.2

16.40%

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

$1.75 COP 5,643

$0.81 ฿27.09

116.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,263

$0.45 ฿15.01

193.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.30 ฿77.4

36.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

$3.41 ฿114

62.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,542

$1.59 ฿53.5

-11.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,858

$1.36 ฿45.86

79.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,245

$1.50 ฿50.5

8.67%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,084

$2.05 ฿68.9

37.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.2K

$18.36 ฿617

-47.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.0K

$3.17 ฿107

194.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.3K

$10.61 ฿357

26.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$2.79 ฿93.9

43.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,768

$1.54 ฿51.7

-3.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,839

$2.10 ฿70.5

0.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,253

$1.95 ฿65.7

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,155

$1.44 ฿48.39

32.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,214

$1.25 ฿41.97

29.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$1.02 ฿34.39

12.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,063

$0.48 ฿16.09

162.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$4.15 ฿139

-7.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.2K

$17.24 ฿580

-23.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,136

$1.69 ฿56.7

-5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,263

$2.63 ฿88.6

-14.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$2.00 ฿67.2

-41.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 241.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$2.60 ฿87.4

-51.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,600

$0.93 ฿31.19

120.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.4K

$3.37 ฿113

143.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,088

$1.29 ฿43.20

-1.55%

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

$26.8K COP 86.2M

$24.1K ฿809.2K

11.25%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

$24.1K ฿810.2K

42.76%

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

$162 COP 522.3K

$98.9 ฿3,324

64.06%

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

$13.12 COP 42.3K

$11.05 ฿371

18.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.5K

$16.87 ฿567

66.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 142.7K

$53.1 ฿1,784

-16.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.6K

$10.77 ฿362

51.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$7.53 ฿253

-19.12%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$557 ฿18.7K

37.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$11.7K ฿392.3K

-23.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 273.6K

$64.0 ฿2,151

32.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.1K

$28.52 ฿959

101.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 424.2K

$95.9 ฿3,223

37.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 308.3K

$86.9 ฿2,922

10.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$513 ฿17.2K

100.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$321 ฿10.8K

88.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$1,442 ฿48.5K

24.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$843 ฿28.4K

17.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.6M

$2,420 ฿81.4K

62.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

$1,779 ฿59.8K

-7.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$709 ฿23.8K

-11.64%

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 6, 2026

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Koh Phangan

$321 31.6% 46.8% $283

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Koh Phangan

$253 24.9% 12.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Koh Phangan

$127 12.5% 37.7% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Koh Phangan

$124 12.2% 25.6% $43

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Koh Phangan

$109 10.7% 34.7% $58

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Koh Phangan

$15 * 1.5% 83.3% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Koh Phangan

$68 6.7% 20.6% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $513 in Koh Phangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koh Phangan pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $29.00 in Koh Phangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $253 per month, with Koh Phangan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

17:40 5:40 PM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,608 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Koh Phangan 18,170 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Koh Phangan

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 Phangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Koh Phangan differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($1,589 vs $1,018 including rent). Koh Phangan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Koh Phangan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Medellin versus $513 in Koh Phangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Medellin versus $1,018 in Koh Phangan – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,018 in Koh Phangan versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koh Phangan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Phangan 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 Phangan 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 Phangan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.