Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Koh Samui

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Samui: $1,221 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
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Koh Samui Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,221

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,221 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Koh Samui $1,221

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,093 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Koh Samui $2,093

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,965 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Koh Samui $2,965

Medellin costs about 34% more than Koh Samui, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Koh Samui is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$4.31 ฿145

87.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$32.28 ฿1,089

45.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$8.55 ฿289

11.11%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.75 ฿92.7

9.45%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.89 ฿30.00

102.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.49 ฿16.55

187.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$2.56 ฿86.3

24.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$3.61 ฿122

59.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.66 ฿55.9

-9.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.46 ฿49.30

63.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.58 ฿53.3

12.03%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.16 ฿73.0

33.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$19.29 ฿651

-47.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$3.34 ฿113

195.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$10.86 ฿366

28.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.94 ฿99.2

35.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.60 ฿54.1

-3.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.29 ฿77.1

-4.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$2.05 ฿69.2

6.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$1.45 ฿48.79

35.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$1.37 ฿46.13

16.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.12 ฿37.67

2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.55 ฿18.62

125.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.26 ฿144

-7.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$18.41 ฿621

-25.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.82 ฿61.4

-8.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.85 ฿96.2

-20.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$1.53 ฿51.7

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$58.1 ฿1,959

33.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$3.15 ฿106

-59.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.07 ฿36.12

91.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$4.08 ฿138

109.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.53 ฿51.7

-11.76%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$27.5K ฿928.8K

23.75%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$27.7K ฿936.1K

24.97%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$104 ฿3,492

63.90%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$11.49 ฿388

17.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$18.05 ฿609

55.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$69.9 ฿2,358

-37.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$11.34 ฿383

51.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$8.14 ฿275

-15.11%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$509 ฿17.2K

56.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$12.4K ฿416.9K

-26.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$62.9 ฿2,120

34.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$29.10 ฿982

99.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$95.8 ฿3,231

40.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$87.2 ฿2,942

12.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$607 ฿20.5K

99.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$420 ฿14.2K

52.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,653 ฿55.8K

22.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,221 ฿41.2K

-17.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$3,583 ฿120.9K

16.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$2,588 ฿87.3K

-26.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$405 ฿13.7K

62.21%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Koh Samui: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Koh Samui

$420 34.4% 34.5% $222

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Koh Samui

$267 21.9% 10.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Koh Samui

$133 10.9% 37% $78

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Koh Samui

$119 9.7% 30.1% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Koh Samui

$124 10.1% 26.8% $45

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Koh Samui

$73 6% 22.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Koh Samui

$86 7.1% 49.8% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $607 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 62% higher in Medellin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $32 in Koh Samui. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $267 – making Koh Samui the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🕒 Local time

18:11 6:11 PM

06:11 6:11 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

62,110

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Koh Samui 18,190 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Koh Samui

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 Samui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $1,221 in Koh Samui – Koh Samui comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,832 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $607 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $32 in Koh Samui. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,221 in Koh Samui, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Koh Samui has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,221 in Koh Samui to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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