Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Krabi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Krabi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,042 in Krabi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,438 in Krabi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,834 in Krabi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 57% more expensive than in Krabi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Krabi is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.09 ฿102

160.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.9K

$19.41 ฿641

148.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.1K

$8.87 ฿293

6.20%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,056

$1.79 ฿59.2

64.25%

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

$1.86 COP 5,745

$1.09 ฿36.18

70.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,487

$0.45 ฿14.76

224.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,899

$1.92 ฿63.4

67.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.49 ฿82.3

129.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,436

$2.29 ฿75.6

-37.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,401

$1.49 ฿49.16

61.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,237

$2.20 ฿72.8

-22.73%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,911

$1.84 ฿60.8

57.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$16.02 ฿529

-37.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$2.81 ฿92.7

254.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.8K

$7.69 ฿254

84.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.47 ฿81.6

61.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,886

$1.07 ฿35.52

47.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,635

$2.14 ฿70.8

0.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,090

$1.56 ฿51.5

47.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,179

$1.42 ฿46.96

40.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,654

$1.31 ฿43.40

15.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,707

$1.57 ฿51.8

-23.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,953

$0.49 ฿16.14

161.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.46 ฿147

-13.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.2K

$10.96 ฿362

27.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,265

$1.82 ฿60.2

-6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,454

$2.41 ฿79.5

13.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,840

$0.95 ฿31.54

31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 240.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,023

$2.47 ฿81.5

-46.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,692

$1.77 ฿58.4

22.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.6K

$6.06 ฿200

36.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,179

$1.28 ฿42.24

6.25%

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

$27.5K COP 84.7M

$22.1K ฿730.9K

24.19%

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

$36.5K COP 112.6M

$24.7K ฿817.1K

47.75%

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

$169 COP 520.1K

$72.0 ฿2,378

134.40%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$11.45 ฿378

18.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.3K

$24.90 ฿823

13.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.9K

$64.1 ฿2,117

-28.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.1K

$9.09 ฿300

89.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.46 ฿246

-10.86%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$213 ฿7,049

276.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,492 ฿280.6K

8.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.3K

$14.92 ฿493

485.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 183.0K

$15.40 ฿509

285.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 428.2K

$75.5 ฿2,496

83.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.6K

$75.7 ฿2,500

34.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$355 ฿11.7K

201.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$420 ฿13.9K

55.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$718 ฿23.7K

168.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$542 ฿17.9K

93.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,229 ฿40.6K

235.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,076 ฿35.6K

57.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$708 ฿23.4K

-7.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.4

47.84%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Krabi: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $355 in Krabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krabi pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $19.00 in Krabi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $229 per month, with Krabi 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 Krabi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Krabi differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $1,042 including rent). Krabi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Krabi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $355 in Krabi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $1,042 in Krabi – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,042 in Krabi versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Krabi but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Krabi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Krabi 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 Krabi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.