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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,057 in Koh Tao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,760 in Koh Tao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,463 in Koh Tao.

Living in Medellin is roughly 62% more expensive than in Koh Tao, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Koh Tao is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$3.78 ฿124

112.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$27.72 ฿911

74.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$7.49 ฿246

30.44%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.44 ฿80.1

19.26%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.75 ฿24.69

158.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.38 ฿12.51

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$2.11 ฿69.3

46.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$3.17 ฿104

81.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.80 ฿59.2

-24.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.38 ฿45.52

73.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.51 ฿49.68

12.58%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$2.09 ฿68.7

37.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$18.48 ฿608

-46.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$3.29 ฿108

227.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$10.69 ฿351

37.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.83 ฿93.2

44.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.59 ฿52.2

-1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$2.16 ฿70.9

-1.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$2.01 ฿66.0

9.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$1.44 ฿47.38

42.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.32 ฿43.30

13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.02 ฿33.62

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.51 ฿16.83

127.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.10 ฿135

-4.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$17.52 ฿576

-17.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.70 ฿55.9

-7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$2.66 ฿87.3

6.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$2.05 ฿67.3

-42.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$2.70 ฿88.7

-52.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.97 ฿32.01

115.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$3.60 ฿118

139.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.35 ฿44.27

-3.70%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$24.2K ฿795.8K

14.27%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$24.2K ฿794.8K

46.90%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$102 ฿3,338

73.42%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$10.98 ฿361

21.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$17.74 ฿583

68.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$55.3 ฿1,817

-19.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$11.74 ฿386

45.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$7.87 ฿259

-21.22%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$570 ฿18.7K

39.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$11.5K ฿377.2K

-21.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$63.5 ฿2,087

34.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$28.56 ฿939

104.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$97.5 ฿3,205

39.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$89.0 ฿2,928

15.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$559 ฿18.4K

89.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$364 ฿12.0K

86.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,598 ฿52.6K

25.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$910 ฿29.9K

28.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$2,666 ฿87.7K

54.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,918 ฿63.1K

-11.31%

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 Tao: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $559 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $28.00 in Koh Tao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $259 per month, with Koh Tao 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 Tao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,574 in Medellin and $1,586 in Koh Tao 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 $559 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $570 in Koh Tao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Tao – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,057 in Koh Tao versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Koh Tao but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Tao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Koh Tao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Koh Tao 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 Tao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.