Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Loei Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Loei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $950 in Loei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,536 in Loei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,122 in Loei.

Living in Medellin is roughly 73% more expensive than in Loei, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Loei is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.36 ฿111

139.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$25.27 ฿836

91.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$8.37 ฿277

12.54%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$2.26 ฿74.8

30.09%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$0.64 ฿21.29

190.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$0.31 ฿10.15

370.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$2.05 ฿67.7

56.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.36 ฿111

69.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$2.10 ฿69.4

-31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$1.43 ฿47.24

67.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$1.36 ฿44.96

25.00%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$1.87 ฿61.7

54.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$15.30 ฿506

-34.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$2.80 ฿92.7

256.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.74 ฿355

32.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.95 ฿97.7

34.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$1.17 ฿38.60

35.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$2.11 ฿69.7

1.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$1.67 ฿55.2

37.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$1.49 ฿49.15

34.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$1.24 ฿41.06

21.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$1.27 ฿42.14

-5.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$0.57 ฿18.91

124.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.85 ฿127

-0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$17.94 ฿593

-21.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$1.74 ฿57.4

-1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$2.47 ฿81.9

10.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$1.00 ฿33.21

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$1.49 ฿49.28

-12.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$1.28 ฿42.43

69.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$4.12 ฿136

101.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$1.26 ฿41.75

7.94%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$29.7K ฿983.3K

-7.61%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$26.6K ฿880.5K

37.23%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$82.6 ฿2,731

104.29%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$10.39 ฿344

30.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$19.92 ฿659

42.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$41.11 ฿1,359

11.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$13.25 ฿438

29.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.21 ฿205

7.09%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$560 ฿18.5K

43.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$11.1K ฿366.0K

-16.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$50.5 ฿1,670

72.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$26.58 ฿879

123.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$77.5 ฿2,561

79.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$71.6 ฿2,366

42.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$478 ฿15.8K

124.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$291 ฿9,613

124.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,408 ฿46.6K

36.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$652 ฿21.6K

60.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,181 ฿72.1K

89.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,693 ฿56.0K

0.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

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 Loei: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $478 in Loei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $25.00 in Loei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $247 per month, with Loei 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 Loei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Loei differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $950 including rent). Loei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,425 in Loei 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $478 in Loei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $560 in Loei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Loei – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $950 in Loei versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Loei but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Loei 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 Loei 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 Loei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.