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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,209 in Koh Samui, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,008 in Koh Samui, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,806 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Medellin costs about 36% more than Koh Samui, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Koh Samui is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.62 ฿153

74.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$32.89 ฿1,087

46.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$8.80 ฿291

7.05%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.92 ฿96.5

0.68%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.89 ฿29.54

108.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.49 ฿16.19

197.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.46 ฿81.1

30.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.85 ฿127

48.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.90 ฿62.6

-24.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.43 ฿47.23

67.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.60 ฿52.9

6.25%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.17 ฿71.6

33.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$20.08 ฿663

-49.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.41 ฿113

192.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$11.11 ฿367

27.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.04 ฿101

30.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.66 ฿54.7

-4.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.27 ฿75.2

-5.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$2.21 ฿73.0

4.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.50 ฿49.46

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.42 ฿46.92

6.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.14 ฿37.50

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.55 ฿18.26

132.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.53 ฿150

-15.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$19.00 ฿628

-26.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.82 ฿60.0

-6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.85 ฿94.1

-3.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$2.42 ฿79.8

-48.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$45.31 ฿1,497

71.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$3.21 ฿106

-59.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.10 ฿36.22

97.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$4.23 ฿140

95.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.52 ฿50.1

-10.53%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$28.8K ฿952.3K

-4.68%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$28.9K ฿953.3K

26.64%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$110 ฿3,627

53.68%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$11.81 ฿390

14.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$18.43 ฿609

53.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$56.9 ฿1,879

-19.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$11.82 ฿390

45.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$8.38 ฿277

-20.64%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$629 ฿20.8K

27.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$12.7K ฿421.0K

-27.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$65.0 ฿2,147

34.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$29.07 ฿961

104.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$98.4 ฿3,250

41.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$91.2 ฿3,013

11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$628 ฿20.7K

70.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$420 ฿13.9K

55.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,779 ฿58.8K

8.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,028 ฿34.0K

1.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$3,020 ฿99.8K

36.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$2,162 ฿71.4K

-21.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$393 ฿13.0K

66.51%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Koh Samui: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $628 in Koh Samui. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 67% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $33.00 in Koh Samui. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $276 – making Koh Samui the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Samui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,641 in Medellin, $1,209 in Koh Samui – roughly 36% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,814 in Koh Samui. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 9% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $33.00 in Koh Samui. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Koh Samui, where all-in costs run around $1,209, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Koh Samui it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Koh Samui has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,209 in Koh Samui to $1,641 in Medellin. 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 Koh Samui. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.