Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Koh Tao

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Tao: $1,045 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Koh Tao
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Koh Tao Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Koh Tao

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,045

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,045 in Koh Tao.

Medellin $1,625
Koh Tao $1,045

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $1,724 in Koh Tao.

Medellin $2,412
Koh Tao $1,724

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $2,404 in Koh Tao.

Medellin $3,199
Koh Tao $2,404

Living in Medellin is roughly 55% more expensive than in Koh Tao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Koh Tao is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$3.89 ฿130

113.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$27.00 ฿902

73.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$7.49 ฿250

23.36%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.39 ฿79.8

27.62%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.76 ฿25.49

136.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.42 ฿14.04

228.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.12 ฿71.0

52.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.23 ฿108

72.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.57 ฿52.6

-4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.38 ฿46.03

71.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.45 ฿48.38

17.24%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.08 ฿69.6

42.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$18.21 ฿609

-43.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$3.27 ฿109

197.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$10.34 ฿346

34.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.80 ฿93.5

47.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.56 ฿52.1

-1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.19 ฿73.1

1.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$2.05 ฿68.4

10.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.40 ฿46.78

42.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.26 ฿42.08

32.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.05 ฿35.10

12.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.49 ฿16.31

153.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$4.05 ฿135

-4.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$17.60 ฿588

-21.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.68 ฿56.0

-1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.63 ฿88.0

-8.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$2.02 ฿67.5

-38.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.76 ฿92.2

-53.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.98 ฿32.79

119.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$3.37 ฿113

148.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.27 ฿42.56

6.30%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$24.6K ฿821.9K

41.35%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$23.8K ฿796.1K

45.61%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$96.6 ฿3,229

72.50%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$11.21 ฿375

21.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$17.15 ฿573

69.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$55.6 ฿1,858

-18.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$11.50 ฿384

49.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$7.82 ฿261

-10.87%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$566 ฿18.9K

39.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$11.7K ฿389.6K

-22.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$63.2 ฿2,112

38.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$28.21 ฿943

106.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$96.4 ฿3,222

44.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$88.8 ฿2,968

11.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$550 ฿18.4K

86.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$351 ฿11.7K

76.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,583 ฿52.9K

18.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$893 ฿29.8K

12.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$2,685 ฿89.7K

48.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,889 ฿63.1K

-9.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Koh Tao: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Koh Tao

$351 33.6% 43.4% $269

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Koh Tao

$254 24.3% 14.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Koh Tao

$125 12% 40.3% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Koh Tao

$124 11.9% 27.9% $48

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Koh Tao

$104 10% 39.1% $67

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Koh Tao

$16 * 1.5% 83.5% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Koh Tao

$71 6.8% 20.7% $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 $550 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Koh Tao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $254 per month, with Koh Tao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇭 Koh Tao

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

18:41 6:41 PM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,382

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Koh Tao 18,130 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Koh Tao

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 Tao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,437 in Medellin and $1,567 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $550 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $566 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 $27.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,045 in Koh Tao versus $1,625 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 55% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.