Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Koh Phi Phi

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Koh Phi Phi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phi Phi
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Koh Phi Phi Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Koh Phi Phi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Koh Phi Phi $1,930

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $3,266 in Koh Phi Phi, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Koh Phi Phi $3,266

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $4,603 in Koh Phi Phi, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Koh Phi Phi $4,603

Medellin is about 18% cheaper than Koh Phi Phi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Koh Phi Phi sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Koh Phi Phi by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$6.82 ฿228

17.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$48.47 ฿1,623

-3.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$12.83 ฿430

-26.50%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$4.10 ฿137

-29.02%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$1.36 ฿45.48

28.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$0.73 ฿24.55

80.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$3.84 ฿129

-18.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$5.54 ฿186

0.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$2.00 ฿67.1

-29.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$1.72 ฿57.6

41.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$1.88 ฿63.0

-13.30%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$2.52 ฿84.5

11.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$23.69 ฿793

-59.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$4.05 ฿136

130.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$13.17 ฿441

2.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$3.50 ฿117

14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.95 ฿65.3

-24.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$2.71 ฿90.7

-21.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$2.55 ฿85.5

-11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$1.82 ฿61.0

4.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$1.65 ฿55.3

-1.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$1.29 ฿43.10

-10.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.62 ฿20.78

103.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$5.08 ฿170

-24.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$21.86 ฿732

-40.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$2.13 ฿71.3

-24.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$3.40 ฿114

-33.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$3.05 ฿102

-61.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$4.13 ฿138

-69.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$1.48 ฿49.50

38.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$5.21 ฿174

57.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$2.01 ฿67.3

-36.82%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$37.6K ฿1.3M

-28.81%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$37.9K ฿1.3M

-9.15%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$106 ฿3,556

52.73%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$12.39 ฿415

5.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$19.02 ฿637

47.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$62.1 ฿2,080

-28.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$13.26 ฿444

23.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$9.25 ฿310

-34.16%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$665 ฿22.3K

14.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$14.0K ฿467.7K

-36.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$67.3 ฿2,252

26.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$29.94 ฿1,002

92.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$100 ฿3,358

31.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$90.7 ฿3,037

5.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,569 ฿52.5K

-34.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$1,007 ฿33.7K

-39.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$4,640 ฿155.3K

-61.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$2,698 ฿90.3K

-63.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$7,572 ฿253.5K

-48.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$5,505 ฿184.3K

-70.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

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 Phi Phi: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Koh Phi Phi

$1K 53.5% 66.6% $402

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Koh Phi Phi

$321 17.1% 11.3% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Koh Phi Phi

$138 7.3% 32.4% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Koh Phi Phi

$130 6.9% 22.1% $37

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Koh Phi Phi

$181 9.6% 8.7% $15

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Koh Phi Phi

$24 * 1.3% 74% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Koh Phi Phi

$81 4.3% 42.7% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,569 in Koh Phi Phi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $48.00 in Koh Phi Phi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $321 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇭 Koh Phi Phi

🕒 Local time

22:26 10:26 PM

10:26 10:26 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,500

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Koh Phi Phi 18,340 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Koh Phi Phi

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 Phi Phi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,589 in Medellin, $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $2,894 in Koh Phi Phi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi. That's a gap of about 21%.

Kindergarten costs $764 per month in Medellin and $665 in Koh Phi Phi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Koh Phi Phi at $1,930. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Koh Phi Phi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,589 in Medellin to $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Koh Phi Phi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.